After finally running out of patience, Howie Roseman traded up one spot to claim one of the night-one steals. On night two of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles played the waiting game to perfection in Round 2 and came away with a gold mine.
Philly has found a true replacement for C.J. Gardner-Johnson. They left Athens and Tuscaloosa to do so. They stayed in the SEC though, and good thing they did. The newest Eagle is another All-SEC mention.
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The Philadelphia Eagles select a playmaker, Andrew Mukuba, with the final choice of the second round.
The pick is in. The Birds elected against trading up, and they saw prospects that they really liked land elsewhere. The good news is they found a playmaker as we expected they would. Andrew Mukuba is the choice at pick 64!
Here's an interesting nugget. Mukuba spent some time in Clemson as a member of the Tigers. The last time the Birds drafted a former Clemson safety in Round 2 of an NFL Draft, things worked out pretty well...
That was Brian Dawkins! We can all agree that was a pretty wise decision, right?
Though we'd never put pressure on a youngster by comparing him to one of the best players to ever wear the Midnight Green, it is interesting to see they both share stomping grounds. Now, the question is simple.
What does the new safety bring to the Eagles organization?
In 2024, after three years at Clemson, Mukuba transferred to Texas and things worked out well for him. He proved to be one of the game's great defensive playmakers, forcing a fumble and recording five interceptions.
C.J.G.J. is a similar physical comparison. Both he and Andrew are about the same height, but the new guy is about 25 pounds lighter.
C.J. is probably a better run defender, and that's where Mukuba will have his biggest opportunity to grow.
Mukuba is better than C.J. is pass coverage. He allowed just ten receptions for 74 yards when targeted during his final NCAA season.
Mukuba fits the Vic Fangio scheme well. Reed Blankenship is on notice. The coming season is a contract year for one of Philly's 'Exciting Whites'. In the meantime, however, Philly has a nice rotation at safety.