NFL Draft: Senior Bowl Standout Boye Mafe Intrigues Falcons

Boye Mafe

John Cominsky

Arthur Smith

How would he fit in Atlanta?

If the Atlanta Falcons want another playmaker on their defense, Mafe is an intriguing option.

Pass Game

Mafe really puts stress on offensive tackles due to his explosive get-off and first step.

Primarily in a two-point stance, Mafe wins with speed, strength, and his violent hands. When attacking tackles on the edge, he likes to get his inside hand inside the lineman's chest and chop the outside arm of the tackle. He has good hip flexibility and balance. He displays good play strength and can use a bull rush as one of his moves. He shows active hands when fighting through a block. He rushes with good depth and does not get too wide in his arc. 

There were not a lot of reps of Mafe in coverage, but this past year against Ohio State he displayed some very good athletic ability when it came to pass coverage. Ohio State ran a play where the running back leaked out on a wheel route and Mafe was able to keep up with the RB every step of the way. You just cannot teach that. 

He has the athletic requirements to play in coverage, but the mental side of things will determine how successful he is. There was one rep where he was able to jam the tight end as he was getting into his release. 

When trailing in coverage, Mafe will need to learn to look back for the ball. This is something that can come with more reps as he goes along in his process of becoming an NFL player.

Run Game

Mafe has good short-area quickness and wiggle which allows him to beat blockers to avoid them and beat them to a spot. 

He has good lateral agility to work down the line of scrimmage in run support. He does need to work on his eye discipline, as he can bite on RPOs pretty hard instead of keeping the backside contained. This also occurs on reverses and end-arounds. When he guesses right, he can be a highly effective defender against inside run plays. 

Overall, he has the ability to play through contact and make stops in the inside run game. He has the twitch and the change of direction ability to reverse course and run-down ball carriers for minimal gains. He does a good job of striking and pulling guards to restrict the inside lane created on trap and counter plays. He displays active hands in the passing game but it does not always show up in the run game. He can be blocked and driven back some when he does not use his hands and strength to his advantage. 

Coaches will likely want to see more pop in his hands as well, which also showed up when he was pass rushing. He has a good motor and is always hustling. He is a good, strong tackler who consistently gets his man to the ground.

Arthur Smith

Dean Pees

Terry Fontenot

Bottom Line 

The No. 1 defensive end out of the state of Minnesota, Mafe chose to play college ball in his home state and never looked back. 

After redshirting his freshman year in 2017, Mafe gained more momentum and playing time every year. With 42 career games played under his belt, Mafe finished his career 9th all-time in school history with 15 sacks. 

Playing primarily in a two-point stance his whole career, Mafe projects as a 3-4 OLB at the next level. His explosiveness and hip flexibility will be desired in what is a deep edge class. Mafe has a similar playstyle as Indianapolis Colts edge rusher Ben Banogu, who was drafted 49th overall in 2019. 

After a strong showing at the Senior Bowl, Combine, and Pro Say, do not be surprised if he finds his way into the first round of the draft. But if he's there on Day 2 and at the Falcons pick at No. 43, Mafe could become the next big thing for the Atlanta defense.