Boye Mafe NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for Minnesota EDGE

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HEIGHT: 6’4″

WEIGHT: 265

POSITIVES

— Good body control and burst. Can navigate and create space for himself effectively.

— Flashes of an above-average first step, especially on clear passing downs.

— Above-average hip flexibility to get low and dip under contact.

— Effective and timely initial hand usage as a pass-rusher. Does well to keep opposing hands out of his frame.

— Showed the ability to drop and cover the flat. Stayed on top of wheel routes consistently.

— High-motor pass-rusher who comes off blocks well in space. Conducive to being a quality cleanup player.

NEGATIVES

— Length is average at best. Struggles to engage first if taking on blocks head on.

— Does not have a ton of pop in his hands. Uses his hands better to keep himself clean rather than set the tone for an engagement.

— Subpar anchor in the run game. Can have issues settling down and holding ground.

— Below-average leg drive. Prone to stalling out and can’t always finish running the arc through contact.

— Middling ankle flexibility. Struggles to widen out when running the arc.

— Can be late seeing and triggering on the run game.

2021 STATISTICS

12 G, 34 TOT, 10 TFL, 7 SK, 1 FF

NOTES

— Four-year contributor. Primarily started as a senior in 2021.

— 3-star recruit in 2017.

— 2021 second-team All-Big Ten.

OVERALL

Boye Mafe may not be all the way there right now, but he has a few enticing pass-rushing traits worth investing in.

Mafe played both with his hand in the dirt and from a stand-up alignment at Minnesota. While effective at both for different reasons, he often looked more explosive with his hand in the ground when he could really pin his ears back. From there, Mafe shows impressive body control and flexibility, particularly with respect to being able to get low and gain the leverage advantage. His leg drive and balance to finish out pass-rushing reps from there comes and goes, but the fact he can get to that point consistently is encouraging.

Mafe also shows good preemptive hand usage, regularly knocking down the hands of offensive tackles with a variety of moves to keep blockers out of his frame. On the flip side, he shows little proactive hand usage and does not have much pop when he is the first to engage right now, but at least he does well to keep people off of him.

Most of Mafe’s issues are against the run. He is often late to see and trigger on the run game, especially if he’s getting pulls or kickouts his way. His aforementioned lack of punch shows up when engaging those head-on blocks as well. Furthermore, Mafe’s anchor in the run game wavers too often, which should not be an issue for a player his size.

Mafe’s explosiveness, hip flexibility and hand usage all make him a worthwhile project to invest in. For now, he is likely just a designated pass-rusher and passing-down weapon, but he does have the size to eventually bloom into a functional run defender over time.

GRADE: 6.6 (4th Round – Potential Role Player)

PRO COMPARISON: Ogbonnia Okoronkwo

Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen