Eagles lands CJ Gardner-Johnson replacement in Texas' Andrew Mukuba
When the Philadelphia Eagles traded away CJ Gardner-Johnson mere weeks after winning the Super Bowl, it left serious questions about who would play safety next to Reed Blankenship in 2025.
Would it be 2023 third-round pick Sydney Brown? Former Vic Fangio favorite Justin Simmons? Or someone in the 2025 NFL Draft?
Well, after taking a major swing at pick 64, the favorite in the clubhouse might just be Andrew Mukuba, the safety out of Texas whom Howie Roseman made the final pick in the second round.
Standing 5-foot-11, 186 pounds, Mukuba may be slightly undersized for the position, but his game is remarkably similar to CJGJ, with an ability to play up high, drop down into the box, and even play some slot cornerback, depending on what is needed at any given play. He's a strong hitter, has good vision, and is a smart player who is seemingly in the right place at the right time every play.
Need further proof? Well, NFL.com's Lance Zierlein of NFL.com had the same comp, noting that Mukuba should be able to fully replace CJGJ within a year.
“Andrew Mukuba has the same type of alignment and positional versatility that CGJ had,” Lance Zierlein wrote. “Will be a starting safety by no later than next year. High character, great instincts, and ball skills.“
Now, when an NFL team decides to release a good player in the hopes of replacing them with a rookie on a cheaper contract, there's no guarantee the strategy will come through. In this case, however, Roseman clearly felt good about his evaluations and knew that he could find a similar player who could fill a similar role for less money over the course of his contract than CJGJ will make this year. If Mukuba ends up being as advertised, it will be hard to grade this selection as anything less than an A+ home run for the Eagles.
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