The Philadelphia Eagles chose Andrew Mukuba in the second round out of Texas in hopes he would push for a starting job, immediately, alongside Reed Blankenship.
That ascent up the depth chart has had to wait, though, as the former Longhorn has been limited by a shoulder injury since the third practice of training camp this summer.
According to Mukuba, though, there has still been value in the knowledge he’s been able to absorb on the sidelines at practice, in film study, and meetings throughout camp despite not being able to flash his athleticism on the field.
“I feel like that’s whenever my mental kicks in more, where I’m taking mental reps,” Mukuba said, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Whether I’m watching more film or coming in for extra meetings, those sort of things. I feel like me not being on the field just gave me more time to improve my knowledge of the game and to look at the game from a different point of view.”
The 5-foot-11 and 185-pound Mukuba posted a career-best 69 total tackles with four tackles for loss while pulling down five interceptions during his final collegiate season in Austin.
Mukuba’s blend of instincts, athleticism, and production put him on the Eagles’ radar, and while defensive coordinator Vic Fangio hasn’t had much of a chance to evaluate him on the field or see how much those mental reps are paying off, he believes Mukuba is approaching his injury the right way.
“He just has to pay attention to meetings to get mental reps,” Fangio recently told reporters. “But there’s no replacing physical reps. Meetings and mental reps are good, but the value of them compared to physical reps is night and day.”
When Mukuba is able to work his way back onto the practice field and into full-team reps, he understands what he’s up against in terms of fighting for a role this season at a young and talented position group.
“It’s a competitive room,” Mukuba said, “but at the end of the day, the guys care about each other at a deeper level to where it don’t matter who run out there first, they just want to see the next guy succeed. In my time here, this short amount of time, I’ve seen that a lot.
“There’s not no selfish guy in the room. Everybody is just trying to help everybody. Everybody’s journey is different but we all got one goal at the end of the day.”
Former Eagles Tight End Released by Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers released former Eagles tight end Kevin Foelsch, to make way for cornerback Daryl Porter Jr., as the franchise cycles through the bottom of the roster in search of the best 53 players.
Foelsch, 24, spent parts of last season on the Eagles’ practice squad before being released on September 24.
The University of New Haven product spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs this spring before getting an opportunity with the Steelers through the first few weeks of training camp. Foelsch has yet to appear in an NFL game.
