2025 NFL Draft grade roundup: Mixed opinions on Eagles’ Andrew Mukuba pick originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Eagles made just one selection on Day 2 of the draft, taking safety Andrew Mukuba out of Texas with the 64th overall pick, the final pick in the second round.
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After the end of Day 2, Howie Roseman said Mukuba plays like a Philadelphia Eagle.
But was that enough to get good grades on the pick?
What they said: “Mukuba and Cooper DeJean, this is what dreams are made of. Mukuba has been one of my favorite players in the draft all offseason and his energetic, physical style of play will fit right in with the players the Eagles already have in their back seven.”
What they said: “Mukuba had one great season at Texas after being a bit up and down throughout the latter half of his Clemson career. He flashed as an explosive run fitter with great coverage range last season, finally living up to his elite recruiting profile. This feels a touch high for him, but Howie Roseman rarely misses.”
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What they said: “The only thing that is a red flag with Andrew Mukuba is his thin frame. He’s a baller who sees the field well and can play any role asked of him. However, he’s so lean that he might end up being a subpackage player only, so there’s risk.”
What they said: “Fluid safety who plays more athletically than his workout indicates yet stiffness when changing directions can appear. Built like a spindly-ish cornerback. Makes plays on the football like one too. Older prospect with plenty of experience in every type of role. Rarely out of position but his tackling reliability could improve. Good, not spectacular safety reinforcement for Philadelphia.”
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What they said: “The Eagles find their replacement for C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the athletic Andrew Mukuba. The Texas product showed great progress in his college career, culminating in a 90.0 overall grade in 2024, with an excellent grade in coverage (89.7). He forced an incompletion on 26.1% of his targets, an incredibly high rate. Mukuba showed terrific ball skills, intercepting five passes and allowing a paltry 12.1 passer rating last season.”
What they said: “The Eagles are adding to their stacked secondary. After three rocky years at Clemson, Mukuba put it all together in his lone season at Texas to become a quality NFL draft prospect. Mukuba flourished as a free safety for the Longhorns after struggling as a cornerback for his prior team. He’s an undersized 5-11 and 186-pound defensive back, but he flashed solid instincts and ball skills in his breakout 2024 season.”
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What they said: “The Philadelphia Eagles struck secondary gold twice in last year’s draft with the selections of Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. They went back to the well this year, but they aren’t getting the same value with Texas’ Andrew Mukuba as they did a year ago. Mukuba does give the Eagles better range along the back end than Reed Blankenship can provide. Still, he wasn’t the best safety prospect on the board. There were multiple other higher-graded options.”
