Andrew Mukuba- 6 Things To Know About Eagles Safety

Safety was a massive need for the Eagles. The trade of CJ Gardner-Johnson left them without a proper Free Safety. Both Reed Blankenship and Sydney Brown are more Strong Safeties, not exactly suited for the deep coverage role, or for lining up vs high priority targets. The Eagles might have fixed that problem though. They took Andrew Mukuba in round 2. Here are 5 things fans should know about the Eagles' newest Safety.

With CJGJ gone, the Eagles needed someone to replace his playmaking in the defensive backfield. His 6 interceptions and 6 PBUs last season both ranked in the top 5 among DBs.

Luckily, that is exactly what Mukuba should bring to this Eagles defense. The Longhorns' Safety had 5 interceptions, and 6 PBUs last season, and his forced incompletion rate of 26.1% was among the best in the Nation. He also allowed only 74 yards last season and 0 TDs.

Part of what makes him so effective in coverage is his range. The guy flies around the field. He ran an impressive 4.45 40 time, and that speed shows up on the field when he is wearing pads.

Don't let the low RAS score that is going around Twitter fool you. The guy is an athlete. His In-game Athleticism Score was a 93.2 out of 100. IGA claims to rate players on game performance as compared to RAS, which measures Combine and Pro Day performances.

According to IGA, Mukuba hit a max speed of 20.7 mph and had a closing time of 1.2 seconds. The score puts him in elite company for the position. And it is far more in line with what you see when you watch him play than his RAS score.

When you talk about how physical he is, you might assume that led to penalties. But he got called for 0 penalties last year. No holding calls, no pass interference calls. He managed to hold QBs to a passer rating under 20 without ever getting grabby.

Mind you, he played 712 total snaps last season. 401 in pass coverage. And he was involved in plays all the time. Yet he still played clean and efficient, while dominating.

One complaint people have about Andrew Mukuba is his size. At 5'11, 180 lbs, he is smaller than your average Safety. But when you watch him play, he does not play like someone who is too small. He had some great tackles in his time at Texas.

There was a slight issue with missed tackles last year. His missed tackle rate was middling at best. Some of that may be him trying to hit guys too hard. But you can teach a guy proper tackling technique. What you can't teach is his range or his instincts. Watch Texas play, and it felt like you always saw his number around the ball carrier.

Because his greatest asset is not his speed, it is his mind. Mukuba is a bright player who understands the game, knows his assignment, and puts himself in the right position to make a play.

Most of us owe a ton to our mothers. A lot of people have stories of times our moms made sacrifices to make sure we were able to lead better lives. But Mukuba's mom deserves special props for what she went through to make sure she could take care of her children.

When Andrew Mukuba was 9, he and his family had to flee Zimbabwe, then under the control of an oppressive regime. They moved to Austin, Texas, where his mother supported a family of 6 on the salary of a hotel housekeeper. Mukuba recognizes everything she did for him. A big part of what motivates him is being able to pay her back for all the sacrifices she made for him and his siblings.

That upbringing has led to Makuba growing into a mature and determined man. More than just raising Mukuba's ability as a player, his former coach Steve Sarkisian gushed about the man Makuba was in his time at Texas.

Sarkisian also noted Mukuba's great practice habits. He said those habits led to his positive performance at Texas, and thinks that will continue to lead to success in the pros.