Andrew

Mukuba

A former Freshman All-American at Clemson, Mukuba revitalized his draft stock with a strong final campaign at Texas, playing his best ball as a full-time free safety in Pete Kwiatkowski’s 4-2-5 scheme. Mukuba brings urgent play speed and a confident trigger, flying through alleys with conviction and a knack for locating the football. He finished 2024 with 69 tackles, 5 INTs, and 7 PBUs, flashing the instincts and ball skills that once made him a top-tier recruit. Despite a below-average size profile (5’11¼”, 186) and poor agility testing (4.45 shuttle, 7.15 three-cone), Mukuba posted an elite 90.0 PFF coverage grade in 2024 and showed improved discipline in coverage, logging zero penalties in his final 26 games. He excels at reading route concepts, playing the throw, and adjusting mid-play, with a coverage-first mindset that translates well to modern split-safety looks. That said, Mukuba’s tape shows uneven run support—he plays fast but can over-pursue, miss tackles, or bounce off contact due to his lean frame. He lacks ideal length (30” arms) and will struggle to body up bigger targets.

On Wednesday, Mukuba (6'0/185) became the second-straight Clemson freshman to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, after defensive tackle Bryan Bresee won it last season. Mukuba spent a brief time on the bench for Clemson after some mid-season struggles, but rebounded to close out the year in solid fashion. Per Pro Football Focus, Mukuba totaled 44 tackles on the season, and six pass breakups. He totaled two quarterback pressures and one sack, while allowing only one touchdown pass on 34 targets.