Sirianni on Mukuba: ‘I always thought that he has a knack for football’

On Saturday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field, the Philadelphia Eagles hosted the Cleveland Browns in their second preseason game. 

The Eagles would fall to the Browns 22-13, and while they lost, they got a big performance from their rookie safety Andrew Mukuba.

The second round pick in this year’s draft recorded two turnovers.

In the second quarter, he intercepted Browns QB Dillon Gabriel and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown. Later in the second quarter, he recovered a fumble following a botched handoff between Gabriel and running back Pierre Strong Jr.

After the game, Mukuba discussed the pick-six, which he said was his first pick-six ever.

“I ​mean​, that ​was ​my ​first ​ever ​pick ​six​, so ​that ​was ​a ​great ​feeling,” he said. ​”But ​I ​was ​just ​in ​the ​right ​position, ​read ​my ​assignment, ​read ​my ​keys, ​got ​a ​run ​pass ​key… ​I ​was ​surprised ​he ​was ​throwing ​it ​because ​I ​was ​literally ​right ​there. ​So, ​he ​ended ​up ​throwing ​it ​as ​soon ​as ​I ​caught ​it, I​already ​had ​in ​my ​mind ​I ​gotta ​get to ​the ​end zone, ​so ​I ​was ​able ​to ​do ​that.”

According to Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, Mukuba finds a way to be around the ball.

“I always thought that he has a knack for football; how he practices, watching his tape, whether it was at Clemson or at Texas, and he has the ability to take the ball away as a playmaker,” Sirianni said. “Any time you go out there and make a play, that’s big. That was exciting, the interception. And even the one when he was there for the fumble recovery after they had a missed exchange. Guys that have a knack for the football just find ways to be around the football, and I think that’s what we saw today.”

Despite the interception and fumble recovery, Mukuba acknowledged that there’s room for improvement in his game.

“I ​feel ​like there is ​a ​lot ​of ​things ​from ​on ​my ​end ​I ​got ​to ​clean ​up,” he said.  ​​”I ​wouldn’t ​say ​I ​had ​a ​good ​game, ​but ​I ​had ​a ​solid ​game ​for ​sure.”

Mukuba’s solid performance is a testament to his potential, and it’s exactly what the Eagles were hoping for when they selected him in the draft. At this point, Mukuba, who is second on the depth chart, is in a battle with Sydney Brown for the starting safety spot. After his play on Saturday, he’s certainly in a good position to possibly secure the job, but only time will tell.