Seahawks LB Boye Mafe Explains His 'Art Form,' Setting High Standard
RENTON, Wash. - On the way to an unexpected playoff berth a year ago, the Seattle Seahawks received key contributions from most of their decorated 2022 draft class, including second-round selection Boye Mafe.
Mafe, who earned All-Big Ten honors as a senior at Minnesota and captured Senior Bowl Player of the Game honors with a pair of sacks and three tackles for loss in the all-star showcase, arrived in the Pacific Northwest expected to pitch in immediately as a pass rusher. But after only starting only nine games in his collegiate career, most draft analysts expected it would take him time to develop into an every down edge defender in the NFL with concerns about his ability to hold up against the run.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll seemed to echo those sentiments during training camp, telling reporters Mafe would start off as a pass rushing specialist to allow him to pin his ears back off the edge, rotating in behind starters Uchenna Nwosu and Darrell Taylor.
But somewhat ironically, even as Seattle struggled to slow down opposing running backs for most of the season and finished 30th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game, Mafe quietly emerged as one of the team's best run defenders setting a firm edge and playing sound gap responsibilities. Per Pro Football Focus, he finished fifth among rookie edge defenders with 14 run stops classified as failed plays for the offense and earned a stellar 72.6 run defense grade.
On the flip side, Mafe wasn't as effective rushing the passer as the player himself or the Seahawks anticipated that he would be. Though he finished with a respectable three sacks in a reserve role and had two pressures in a playoff loss to the 49ers in January, he only generated 10 quarterback pressures and posted a mediocre 6.3 percent pass rush win rate in the regular season, ranking 121st and 113th among edge defenders in those categories respectively.
Entering his first full offseason as an NFL player and far from satisfied with his performance chasing down quarterbacks as a rookie, Mafe quickly got to work on improving his speed and explosiveness while sharpening the technical aspects of his pass rushing game to be better equipped to find success against NFL tackles.
"Pass rushing is an art form honestly," Mafe said prior to Friday's training camp practice. "So for me, the biggest thing was taking that art form and finding ways to make it my own, seeing what I can do well, and what works against these tackles. ... And so, just looking at those things and figuring out what things I could improve on, what things can get better at, working on moves, working on steps and get off, all those things and putting those together."
While Mafe did plenty of work on his own seeking to become a more consistent pass rushing threat, he has also been the beneficiary of the arrival of Brandon "BT" Jordan, who the Seahawks hired away from Michigan State as their new pass rushing specialist coach. The New Orleans native has been training defensive linemen since 2012 as CEO of Brandon Jordan Trench Performance and previously worked with over 200 players on NFL rosters.
Among his most notable clientele, Jordan has worked with Von Miller, Maxx Crosby, Chandler Jones, Haason Reddick, and several other All-Pro and Pro Bowl-caliber defensive linemen.
Interestingly, Jordan played tackle at the collegiate level for Ouachita Baptist and Missouri S&T before jumping into coaching. But that previous experience serves him well instructing pass rushers on how to attack blockers, including teaching hand fighting techniques for counters and working on footwork as well as maximizing get off on the snap through drill work.
Since he began working with Jordan during Seattle's OTAs and mandatory minicamp, including watching film with his new coach and coming up with a checklist highlighting areas of improvement, Mafe has already noticed significant growth in his game and his teammates around him.
"It's been great. I love it," Mafe smiled. "It's one of those things, I'm focusing on it and having someone that it's their main focus, it's great for me and the team. I'm definitely noticing the improvements and things I'm noticing about how we're playing, how I'm playing, and the way I'm learning more and more about pass rushing from him."
With his second season now underway, Mafe finds himself entrenched in an uber-competitive battle at one of the Seahawks most intriguing position groups. Along with Nwosu returning with a new three-year contract extension, the team also welcomes back Taylor along with second-round pick Derick Hall and 2022 fifth-round pick Tyreke Smith, who missed his rookie season due to injury.
While Nwosu already has a starting job on lockdown, Mafe will be vying for the other outside linebacker spot opposite of him against Taylor, Hall, and potentially Smith. Meanwhile, while Seattle has plenty of continuity off the edge, the same can't be said for the interior defensive line, where the team overhauled a group that disappointed a year ago through free agency and the draft.
Among those newcomers, though he isn't necessarily new, defensive tackle Jarran Reed returned for a second stint with the franchise after spending the past two seasons with the Chiefs and Packers. Previously playing his first five seasons with the Seahawks, Mafe has been a sponge soaking up any advice he can from the veteran, calling his presence a "big help" for him as he looks to take a major second year leap in all facets of his game.
With Reed and Dre'Mont Jones fortifying the middle and a plethora of returning young veterans back in action off the edge, the Seahawks hope to have a much-improved run defense in addition to a more formidable pass rush up front. Amped up about all of the talent that the team has assembled with offseason additions and returning contributors alike, he's banking on his hard work throughout the spring coupled with intense competition for playing time bringing out his best in 2023.
"I'm excited. Honestly, I feel like now, especially with having the guys coming in and having guys coming back, it pushes the room and sets our standard high. There's a high standard in the room already, but now this high standard is gonna go to another level."
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