LB, Wyoming
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 239 lbs
Class: Senior
A three-star safety recruit coming out of high school, Muma committed to Wyoming over offers from the likes of Hawaii and Colorado State. He played almost exclusively on special teams as a true freshman before converting to linebacker and earning a part-time role in 2019. He became a starter the following season and enters the draft after an outstanding 2021 season that saw him earn All-American honours.
You can read more of my 2022 NFL Draft content here.
Strengths
One of Muma’s biggest strengths is his athletic profile. He moves well for a bigger linebacker, showcasing the straight line speed to work downhill or get to the sideline against outside runs. He is explosive in short areas too and tested incredibly well at the Combine. Muma recorded a 40″ vertical and a 10’9″ broad jump, both of which ranked in the 98th percentile at the position.
He pairs this natural athleticism with very good mental processing. Muma is excellent at reading run and pass, showing good patience to avoid being drawn in by misdirection. He does an excellent job of staying square to the line of scrimmage and mirroring the ball carrier, with good tracking instincts. His ability to navigate traffic stands out on tape and he is particularly effective at avoiding blocks in the open field.
When it comes to his tackling, Muma is incredibly reliable. He was constantly around the ball during his college career and had an astonishing 148 tackles in 2021 alone. His pursuit angles are consistently good and ensure that he is always in a strong position to wrap up. This, combined with his considered approach, means he rarely misses. Muma logged just 22 missed tackles on his 276 career attempts, giving him a missed tackle rate of just 8%.
Muma’s background playing safety will also have teams intrigued by his potential in coverage, particularly in zone. Whilst he wasn’t often targeted during his time at Wyoming, his instincts did shine through. He produced three interceptions in 2021, the second most of any draft-eligible linebacker. He also looked solid when asked to mirror running backs in single coverage out of the backfield.
Weaknesses
Whilst Muma has good size for a linebacker, he doesn’t play like you would expect for a player of his size. He lacks ideal power at the point of attack and it can limit his impact coming downhill and engaging with lead blockers. It also presented issues as a tackler. Whilst he rarely misses in the open field, he does tend to approach upright and this limits his ability to consistently stop the ball carrier’s momentum.
He could also stand to improve his ability in man coverage. Muma is noticeably high-hipped and can still be a little clunky in his transitions. There are also issues with his footwork that result in his getting flat-footed and conceding easy separation against slot receivers and tight ends. The potential is there, but he certainly isn’t ready to be a three-down starter in the NFL just yet.
Bottom Line
Muma is a smart prospect who reads the game well. His underwhelming play strength and and lack of fluidity in coverage might limit his ability to be a quality starter at the next level, but his solid run defense and prowess as a tackler gives him a naturally high floor.
Ideal role: Mike linebacker in a 4-3 zone-heavy scheme
Round projection: 3rd round
