Boye Mafe Scouting Report: 2022 NFL Draft 

EDGE, Minnesota Golden Gophers #34

 

Measurements

6’ 4” / 258 lbs

40 time: 4.57

 

Boye Mafe NFL Draft Profile

Boye Mafe didn’t always stand 6’4” 260 lbs. Coming out of high school, he was a slender 215 lbs and barely earned 3 star recognition from 247sports. Initially he was offered scholarships from Northern Iowa and North Dakota, both powerhouses at their level, but he waited for a D-1 offer and eventually Wyoming and Minnesota joined the crowd.

Seeing how he is a Minnesota native and played high school ball at Hopkins High in Hopkins, Minnesota he chose to stay close to home.

During his time as a Golden Gopher, he would bulk up to 260 lbs and play in 42 game. According to gophersports, he contributed 87 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss and 15 sacks during his career. He would eventually forgo his extra year of eligibility and declare for the NFL Draft. After the season, Mafe played in the Senior Bowl and was named the National Team’s Player of the Game.

 

Strengths

 

First Step

 

Boye Mafe has an impressive get off, especially when he is in a three point stance. On pure passing downs he moves downhill with a full head of steam and is a problem for tackles without great lateral quickness. When he is asked to stand up and rush he loses a bit, but still has a good get off. If you are a lumbering tackle don’t blink, or you might miss him.

 

Versatile

On top of being a pass rusher, Boye Mafe can play some coverage as well. Mafe isn’t going to line up and play man to man with any tight ends, however he can easily be asked to cover the flats in zone as well as stay with most running backs on wheel routes. While playing at Minnesota, he played with his hand in the dirt as well as standing up. I was surprised to see how well he played his coverage roles.

 

Hand Usage

Mafe has good hands prior to being engaged. He is able to keep himself clean when rushing the passer by utilizing quick and efficient hands. This allows him to get past tackles to apply pressure to quarterbacks. He produced 7 sacks in 2021 and applied plenty of pressures as well. One move of his I really liked, but takes some time to develop, was his push pull technique. I saw him beat lineman with it often during the Nebrakasa game.

 

Boye Mafe Weaknesses

 

Run Defense

Mafe is far from being a great run defender. In 2021 playing for Minnesota you could usually find him on the sidelines on first down or second and shorts. He can be slow to react on running plays leaving him a step behind the ball carrier.

While watching his film, you can see that teams can use his quick first step against him by utilizing draws and delays to his area of the field. I also noticed he is susceptible to being tricked by counters and misdirect ions. I kept watching more and more film waiting to see him make a big splash play in the run game, but it just never happened.

 

Inability to Disengage

I know above I talked about his hand usage as a strength, but I mentioned prior to engagement for a reason. Once a lineman is engaged, Mafe very rarely has the ability to break free and make himself relevant in the play. This is most noticeable in his run defense. It emphasizes his lack of NFL level skill in that department right now.

 

Boye Mafe Draft Stock

 

In the beginning of the year, not many people were talking about Boye Mafe. Now after a strong showing at the Senior Bowl I am noticing his name trending up all the way into the late first and early second rounds. In this mock draft by Luke Esterling of Draftwire, he goes 29^th. With a deep class at the position, starring Thibodeaux, Karlaftis, Johnson, and Hutchinson that is too high of a price if you ask me. However, it sounds as if he will be an early day 2 pick in April. He could be this years Odafe Oweh.

 

Final Thoughts on Boye Mafe Scouting Report

I had noticed Mafe watching the Gophers play last season and I noted him as someone to watch in 2021. He has continued to grow and I am still a fan and supporter. As I mentioned above, he is trending up into the earlier rounds. That price is becoming to steep for me. I still think he can be a valuable asset and develop into a good NFL starter in the future.

However, I don’t see a complete enough player to take that early. I see a pass rush specialist in  a 4-3 defense, due to his elite first step. Mafe could be a player who develops into a solid, not great, OLB in a 3-4 defense. That’s not first round worthy to me. I would however be ecstatic to find him on the board at the very back of round three or later. He has the size to become an efficient run defender with discipline and coaching.

 

Player Comparison

A much more athletic version of  Derek Barnett of the Philadelphia Eagles. I was a big fan of Barnett coming out of college. I see a similarity in the fact they are both good with hand their on the ground, but struggle as run defenders at this point in their careers. They both are more finesse then power as well. Mafe has a huge edge in athleticism and pure speed and bend though.