SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Seahawks add Minnesota pass rusher Boye Mafe with 40th pick

Apr 29, 2022, 5:02 PM | Updated: Apr 30, 2022, 3:30 pm
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 05: Boye Mafe #LB23 of Minnesota runs a drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 05, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 28: Quarterback Jarret Doege #2 of the West Virginia Mountaineers is sacked by defensive lineman Boye Mafe #34 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the first half of the Guaranteed Rate Bowl at Chase Field on December 28, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 01: Boye Mafe #34 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers warms up during the 2020 Outback Bowl against the Auburn Tigers at Raymond James Stadium on January 01, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) LINCOLN, NE - DECEMBER 12: Defensive lineman Boye Mafe #34 rushes against the Nebraska Cornhuskersof the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the second half at Memorial Stadium on December 12, 2020 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) CHAMPAIGN, IL - NOVEMBER 07: Boye Mafe #34 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers sacks Coran Taylor #7 of the Illinois Fighting Illini causing a fumble in the fourth quarter of the game at Memorial Stadium on November 7, 2020 in Champaign, Illinois. Minnesota defeated Illinois 41-14. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

The Seahawks entered the 2022 NFL Draft needing help at pass rush, and they addressed that with the first of their two second-round picks, taking Minnesota defensive end Boye Mafe with the 40th pick.

Draft Reaction: Seahawks insiders break down each of the Day 2 picks

Mafe, 23, was a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2021 and had a great showing at both the NFL Scouting Combine and Senior Bowl.

Mafe recorded 15 career sacks in 31 games for the Golden Gophers, including a career-high seven in 2021. He also recorded 19.5 career tackles for loss and three forced fumbles.

At the combine, the 6-foot-4, 260-pound edge rusher measured in with 32 and 5/8-inch arms and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds, which ranked fourth among all defensive linemen at the event. He also jumped 41.5 inches in the vertical leap and broad jumped 10 feet, 5 inches.

Mafe was also one of the standouts at the Senior Bowl, which is ran by former Seahawks scout Jim Nagy. Mafe was regularly seen as a star of the week during practices, and he earned Player of the Game honors for the National Team as he recorded two sacks, three tackles for loss and forced a fumble.

“Boye Mafe was a guy that came down here to the Senior Bowl from Minnesota. Still a little raw, but Boye had a couple sacks in the game and did a lot of good things during the practice week,” Nagy told Seattle Sports’ Jake and Stacy earlier this week.

Mafe is the second edge rusher the Seahawks have selected in the second round in the last three years, the other being Darrell Taylor, who missed his entire rookie season in 2020 but finished second on the team in sacks in 2021 with 6.5.

“Mafe’s evaluation requires the evaluator to focus more closely on the flashes than just the play-to-play action,” NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote. “… He has the traits and toughness to develop into an above-average starter as a 4-3 base end.”

More Seahawks draft selections

Seattle selects Mississippi State OT Charles Cross at No. 9 overall
Hawks draft Michigan State RB Kenneth Walker at 41
Seahawks take standout WSU OT Abraham Lucas in third round
Seahawks add to secondary in fourth with Cincy CB Coby Bryant
Seattle nabs long, speedy UTSA CB Tariq Woolen in fifth round
Hawks pick Ohio State edge rusher Tyreke Smith in fifth
Hawks end draft with 2 WRs in Rutgers’ Melton, Lenoir-Rhyne’s Young

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