That’s one way to make an impression, Andrew Mukuba.
The second round pick for the Philadelphia Eagles delivered a signature moment in his team’s Week 2 preseason game against the Cleveland Browns on August 16 with a 75-yard interception return for a touchdown off another Cleveland rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
Mukuba’s interception gave Philadelphia a 7-6 lead on the first play of the second quarter.
“There’s nowhere for the ball to be thrown and no one is where they’re supposed to be, so the smart thing to do is throw the ball away,” Browns color commentator and Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive tackle Joe Thomas said during the broadcast. “Don’t make it worse, which is what Dillon Gabriel did by trying to force the ball in there … and then don’t really make it worse and throw a Pick Six.”
With Gabriel scrambling toward the Browns sideline, Mukuba picked off a pass in the flat, made one cut and went into the end zone untouched. Mukuba added a fumble recovery in the second quarter after a bumbled handoff by Gabriel.
The last time the Eagles and Browns met in the preseason ended with an 18-18 tie in 2023.
Mukuba Draws Comparison To ‘Honey Badger’
While Mukuba is currently listed on the depth chart behind Sydney Brown, the No. 64 overall pick is being looked at as the long-term solution at safety.
ESPN’s Mike Clay predicted Mukuba, 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, will be an impact player for the Eagles from his first season and would finish in the Top 5 among NFL rookies in both tackles and interceptions. Mukuba signed a 4-year, $7.16 million rookie contract.
“In Philadelphia, second-rounder Mukuba has a real shot to replace C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who was traded to the Texans,” Clay wrote on May 21.
Eagles fan account That Hurts called Mukuba the “Next Honey Badger” on its official X account, comparing Mukuba to 4-time NFL All-Pro safety and Super Bowl champion Tyrann Mathieu.
“For any Non Ball knowers who weren’t a fan of the Andrew Mukuba pick … All I’m going to say is don’t be a fan later,” That Hurts wrote on X on May 2.
Transfer In Final Season Led to College Football Playoff
Mukuba was the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year at Clemson and a 3-time All-ACC pick before he transferred to Texas for his final college season in 2024. With the Longhorns, he had career highs of 69 tackles, 5 interceptions and 7 pass deflections as Texas advanced to the College Football Playoff semifinals for the fist time.
Mukuba made 43 starts in 50 career games. At the NFL scouting combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds. NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein projected Mukuba as a fourth round pick.
“Four-year starter who plays the game with the instincts and awareness of a player who has seen a lot of football,” Zierlein wrote. “… Mukuba possesses the character, physicality and playmaking instincts that will draw NFL teams to him as a future starter.”
