Background

NAME: Boye Mafe

POSITION: EDGE

SCHOOL: Minnesota

HEIGHT: 6’3 1/2”

WEIGHT: 255 lbs

CLASS: Redshirt Senior

GAMES WATCHED: 2020 – Michigan; 2021 – West Virginia, Ohio State

DOB: 11/3/1998

Things He Does Well

Mafe is an incredibly gifted athlete who displays a beautiful blend of speed and power and has the ability to give opposing tackles major fits. His unique blend of size and strength makes him a matchup nightmare for tackles. Mafe has a quick first step which helps him gain leverage and unleash his wicked bull rush. Mafe has more than just a good bull rush; he displays lots of versatility as a defender. He routinely keeps his eyes in the backfield and does a good job of tracking the ball and following the traffic to be involved in the run defense. Mafe looks incredibly comfortable when he drops back into coverage and shows a good sense of awareness. The Golden Gopher defense also uses Mafe on stunts to maximize his athleticism and burst as he blasts through the holes and gaps to create pressure.

Things To Improve

Many issues that Mafe has are due to a general lack of polish as a pass rusher, which might be a knock for some. It isn’t necessarily all bad in my opinion because of not having any real bad habits when it comes to a pass rusher. During the games I watched it seem that Mafe has no real pass rush plan. It is something can be worked on, but is still something that needs work. As mentioned before, Mafe has a great bull rush, but outside of that it seems like a pretty unimpressive arsenal. One other slight knock on Mafe comes from a lack of hand fighting on tape, there are times where Mafe seems to rely solely on his athleticism to get the job done as opposed to technical skills.

Grade

EDGE Traits	Grade
Explosiveness	65/80
Pass Rush Plan	30/80
First Step	55/80
Strength/Power	55/80
Run Defense	50/80
Motor	60/80
Tackling/Pursuit	60/80
Bend	60/80
Frame	55/80
Versatility	65/80

Ceiling:

60/80

Final Grade:	6.92
Round Grade:	3rd

For anyone that has questions about my scale and grade, please reference the grading scale listed in the article here.

Final Thoughts

Boye Mafe is a super intriguing developmental prospect who would be best used in a 3-4 defense as a standing EDGE rusher. Early on in his career he could really benefit from getting into a good EDGE rotation as he works on using his hands more. Mafe should be able to develop into a solid piece with starting upside down the road. Mafe should be incredibly appealing to teams as he is a pile of moldable clay with untapped potential. Mafe and his high energy style of game should make him a fan favorite wherever he ends up come April.

Follow Hunter on Twitter @hthompsonNFL.