There is a reason why the Philadelphia Eagles felt comfortable enough to trade safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson at the start of the 2025 offseason.
Gardner-Johnson has been a fan favorite in the two seasons he has played with the Eagles. The team has reached the Super Bowl in each year he was here - winning in Super Bowl LIX.
Following the trade to Houston, though, the Eagles stayed in Texas to find Gardner-Johnson's replacement.
With the 64th overall pick in the 2025 draft, Philadelphia drafted Longhorn safety Andrew Mukuba. In a piece from The Athletic, Mukuba was described as an undersized but strong defender.
Former Texas Longhorns coach, Blake Gideon, had a comparison for his former safety—one to All-Pro safety Budda Baker of the Arizona Cardinals.
“He plays a lot like Budda, like he throws his (expletive) around,” Gideon said. “He’s a coach’s dream in that respect."
Had Mukuba been a few inches taller, there's a good chance he would have been considered one of the top defensive players in the draft class. That is how well-rounded and dynamic of a safety Mukuba was at Texas.
He also happens to be on a team in Philly that is expected to use him early and often in his career. Mukuba will be competing with Sydney Brown for a starting role on the defense in 2025.
If the Texas product can be anything close to his Baker comp, the Eagles won't miss Gander-Johnson too much.