Landing With Preferred Team, Seahawks LB Boye Mafe Ready to Take Game to Another Level
RENTON, WA - Over the past couple of months, with a sense of normalcy returning compared to the previous two COVID-19 impacted offseasons, NFL teams brought in prospects from all over the country for top-30 visits. An important aspect of the pre-draft process, each organization can invite up to 30 players to their respective facilities for interviews, meetings with coaches and team personnel, and medical examinations.
These visits don't guarantee a team will draft a specific player and many other factors come into play that determine where they will land, but they can be influential for executives and coaches as they finalize draft preparation. While no two visits are the same, sometimes a perfect fit for the franchise and player emerges, and that's exactly what happened for the Seahawks at the VMAC last month.
Desperate for pass rushing reinforcements as they transition to an attacking 3-4 defense under defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt, the Seahawks already held Minnesota EDGE defender Boye Mafe in high regard after watching him dominate at the Senior Bowl in Mobile. Impressing general manager John Schneider, coach Pete Carroll, Hurtt, and others throughout his visit on April 13, he became a coveted target mere weeks away from the 2022 NFL Draft.
While the team had Mafe high on their big board, the player himself also felt a strong connection with the coaching staff and had Seattle at the top of his desired destinations. Seeing a 206 area code light up on his phone screen early on day two of the draft, his aspiration to become a Seahawk became a reality when Schneider informed him he would be selected with the 40th overall pick.
“I had a great visit when I was out there in Seattle and talking to the coaches, it was great," Mafe told reporters of his visit via conference call. "We talked about ball a lot, they taught me a couple of things, and the culture that they are trying to instill there, I can understand it and I can buy into that. It was very great for me to be able to meet them and then when that call happened, that second conversation made it all become real. Honestly, the one I wanted, I’m glad I got that call from Seattle. I’m excited to get out there.”
The Seahawks have always desired elite athleticism and Mafe oozes with traits few other edge defenders possess. At 261 pounds, he ran a 4.53 40-yard dash at the combine, logging a faster time than 10 running backs did in Indianapolis. One of only three players at this year's showcase to run that fast at 260-plus pounds, he also produced a 38-inch vertical jump, joining Purdue's George Karlaftis as the only player to hit that mark at that size.
But those athletic gifts didn't translate to much on-field production for Mafe until a COVID-shortened 2020 season. After being a limited contributor with 3.5 sacks in his first two college seasons combined, he registered 4.5 sacks in just six games as a junior and then took the next step in his development with career-bests in tackles (34), sacks (7.0), and tackles for loss (10) in a breakout senior campaign.
Mafe put his entire skill set on display at the Senior Bowl, overwhelming opposing tackles with speed, power, and underrated hand technique. Showing no signs of struggle shooting out of a three-point stance after primarily being a standup edge defender at Minnesota, he dominated on the practice field and finished the week with an exclamation point by recording a pair of sacks, three tackles for loss, and a forced fumble in the all-star game, earning National Team Player of the Game honors.
“For me, the biggest thing about the Senior Bowl was that I just got more comfortable with the coaches," Mafe said of his experience in Mobile. "I just took everything that they were teaching me at the Senior Bowl and was running with it, especially not being used to playing in a three-point stance. Going into that, it was my first time ever doing that and I was just running with it, honestly.”
Over the years, the Senior Bowl has been one of the most important barometers for the Seahawks when evaluating talent for the draft. In the past five years alone, they have used first-round picks on running back Rashaad Penny, defensive end L.J. Collier, and linebacker Jordyn Brooks, who were all invited to participate in the event. On day two, they have also picked alumni from the showcase, including guard Damien Lewis and linebacker Darrell Taylor.
As Schneider told reporters following the conclusion of the second and third round last Friday, Mafe took his game up a notch working with coaches from the Jets staff in Mobile. Seeing him quickly apply what he learned on the practice field into action and bully several of the top tackles in the country made him stand out amongst his peers.
“Just his effort every practice, you could see him take to the coaching and the teaching, and he’s a really smart individual, highly intelligent, and a great worker," Schneider explained. "The Senior Bowl was really impressive for him. He’s another guy that is very similar to [first-round pick Charles] Cross where you could see him improving the whole season and then the Senior Bowl kind of made him, I think you guys refer to it as ‘fly up people’s boards’ or whatever.”
Part of what makes the entire draft process fascinating is that teams make selections in large part off of projections. Statistically, Mafe wasn't one of the most productive pass rushers in the Big Ten conference, let alone college football. Drafting players who didn't consistently dominate the competition on Saturday with a belief they will be able to do so in the NFL based on a strong week at the Senior Bowl and/or stellar combine performance can be risky business.
But in the case of Mafe, while he didn't explode in the sacks column, per Pro Football Focus, he posted a higher pass-rush win percentage (19.8 percent) than No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker, Jets first-round pick Jermaine Johnson, and Ravens second-round pick David Ojabo in 2021. After being quite raw upon his arrival at Minnesota, he made dramatic improvements developing counters and using his hands to get off blocks over the past two years, suggesting his best football is yet to come as he continues to absorb coaching.
As Carroll mentioned, Mafe's fluid athleticism can also be seen dropping back into coverage, something he did occasionally for the Golden Gophers and will be asked to do as a hybrid linebacker with the Seahawks in base fronts. From a scheme fit, he's exactly what the doctor ordered.
“He’s a very versatile football player, he’s a fantastic athlete with the speed and size that he brings, he can work on the edge as a pass rusher, which is the first thing we would like to see him excel at," Carroll remarked. "But he’s been a guy that has been in coverage and dropped too. He has versatility in that regard. I like him, particularly, coming forward and getting after the quarterback, which we would like to emphasize as we get started, but he’ll be an outside backer in the system and an outside rusher in the 4-3 stuff, so he will get a really good chance to see where he fits in with that."
Like any other incoming rookie, Mafe will have to earn his playing time as a rookie in Seattle and will have stout competition to go up against. After posting 6.5 sacks in 2020, Taylor will return as an undisputed starter, while the team brought in former Chargers starter Uchenna Nwosu on a two-year deal to add another dual-threat edge defender to the mix. Alton Robinson will also be back for his third season eager to secure an expanded role and fellow rookie Tyreke Smith will aim to make some noise as well.
But since his visit last month, Mafe has been all-in on the Seahawks culture and his potential fit in their defense. After putting in the hours on and off the field to transform himself into a viable NFL prospect, he's eager to get back to the grind, reward Schneider, Carroll, and Hurtt for their faith in him, and continue to blossom into a formidable edge rushing force in the NFL.
“It’s euphoric, I mean, all of the hard work, all of the time putting in the extra work, working out by yourself, watching extra film, and seeing that actually come to fruition, now it’s time for me to put some more work in, go make it at another level, compete and get ready to be hungry.”
