Israel Mukuamu 2021 NFL Draft Overview
Position: Cornerback
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 205 Lbs.
School: University of South Carolina
Israel Mukuamu 2021 NFL Draft Profile
Israel Mukuamu was a standout cornerback for the South Carolina Gamecocks from 2018-2020. During his freshman season in 2018, Mukuamu finished with 17 tackles, one forced fumble and one interception. His Sophomore season saw him have 59 tackles with four interceptions. During the shortened 2020 season, the star corner had 10 tackles and two interceptions. Coming out of Parkway in Bossier City, Louisiana, Mukuamu was the 19th best player in Louisiana. At South Carolina, he was awarded the 2018-19 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll. The cornerback was named National Defensive Player of the Week in 2019 against Georgia. The game against Georgia helped Mukuamu become noticed and highly talked about. He was also a 2019 SEC Second and Third Team All-SEC selection. While in Columbia, he displayed a great athletic ability to defend passes and come down with interceptions in his three seasons with South Carolina.
Entering the 2021 NFL Draft, Mukuamu displays great attributes that could see him selected in the mid-rounds. The three-year star with the Gamecocks quickly became one of the most noticed cornerbacks in the conference. The defensive back is a player that probably should refrain from matching up with fast NFL receivers. If his team puts him against taller wideouts, Mukuamu could have a lengthy career in the league.
Strengths
• Great height and length
• Quality ball skills
• Adapts at defending contested passes
• Solid run defender
• Physical press-man corner
Weaknesses
• Slow speed
• Lacks explosion
• Struggles with route running
• Improve on mechanics
Teams with need at the position; Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys
Bottom Line on Israel Mukuamu
Mukuamu possesses great strengths that will transition over to the NFL. Upon watching the tape, the former Gamecock needs to improve on his eye discipline and not allowing separation at the line of scrimmage. He could become an elite cornerback if he improves on these skills. His speed could also be an early issue.
Whichever team decides to draft him will have to overlook the negatives and take a chance. Mukuamu defends the run really well, which is a necessity in the NFL. His ability to knock down passes and his solid ball skills could elevate him during his career.
Israel Mukuamu could end up being one of the best defensive talents out of South Carolina since Jadeveon Clowney. However, his mechanics and other weaknesses must be addressed before the 2021 NFL regular season begins. He has great size for the next level and can play high to low with solid press-man ability.
The former Gamecock could be a great match-up for taller receivers given his great playmaking abilities. But, he could be a poor fit for off-man coverage. His lack of speed would give the opposing receiver an easy step to get separation.
In the NFL, Mukuamu could be a top press-man corner. But he could also be put into zone coverage packages. Therefore, He could be a steal in one of the middle rounds for any team that selects him.
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