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Can Mafe become an elite edge defender?
The 2024 season confirmed that Boye Mafe is not just an athletic prospect — he is an edge rusher who is evolving technically and mentally. After posting incredible numbers in 2023, the
Seattle Seahawks defender has established himself as one of the cornerstones of the defense under new head coach Mike Macdonald, playing more roles and more complex functions in the scheme. In this article, we analyze the strengths and weaknesses of Mafe’s game, his production in 2024 and how much he could be worth at the negotiating table.
Boye Mafe’s 2024 season in numbers
Total pressures: 47 (31st);
Sacks: 6 (42nd);
QB Hits: 5 (58th);
Run Stop: 19 (54th);
Defense Grade: 75.2 (30th);
Pass Rush Grade (PFF): 65.7 (73rd);
Run Defense Grade (PFF): 77.8 (13th);
Snaps played: 607 (202 run defense, 344 pass rush and 61 coverage)
This is an interesting package from the Seahawks (I’ll talk more about this in an article about the team’s defensive trends in 2024). In theory, there are three EDGEs on the field and only one DT. The team varied this DT a lot, but it was usually Leonard Williams. One of the EDGEs was usually Derick Hall and there was an alternation in the other EDGE. The most consistent spot was Mafe standing in the A gap. The idea was to use his explosiveness coming up to the guards.
Mafe has his eyes on the QB and thanks to some exceptional work from both EDGEs, the QB has to move from the pocket. The EDGE gets the sack and attacks the ball at the right time, forcing the fumble that was returned for a TD.
Boye Mafe’s most used pass rush techniques in 2024
Bull Rush
How it works: Mafe uses his brute strength and explosiveness to push the offensive tackle directly toward the quarterback.
Execution: Good base and leverage; can collapse the pocket on long passes.
Effectiveness in 2024: This was his most reliable move. He had success against tackles with high pad level angles or slow hands.
Limitation: Against OLs with good anchoring, Mafe would stop at contact.
Rip Move
How it works: He gains the outside angle and, in transition to the second step, uses his inside arm to “rip” underneath the OT’s contact.
Execution: He combines speed with the rip, especially on 3rd downs.
Effectiveness: His most used secondary move. On long plays (second and third down), he generated notable pressure.
Limitation: When used with poor hand placement or against tackles who can “mirror”, the rip failed due to lack of torque on contact.
Speed-to-Power
How it works: He starts as if he were going to use the speed rush (speed through the outside arc), but converts the threat of speed into a strong contact on the blocker’s chest.
Execution: Used successfully when Mafe mixes timing and precise hands on the OL’s chest.
Effectiveness: Creates discomfort for the pocket and forces the QB to go up or out laterally.
Limitation: If Mafe doesn’t win the first step, the move dies quickly — he needs to improve the conversion time from speed to contact.
Swat/Dip
How it works: More technical move, requires hitting the OT’s hands (swat) and “diving” under contact.
Execution: Infrequent, but used sporadically in 2024.
Effectiveness: Generally inefficient due to lack of ideal flexibility and inconsistent pad level.
Limitation: The lack of natural ankle/hip angles limits the success of this approach compared to more technical pass rushers like Haason Reddick or Brian Burns.
Technical mistakes made in 2024
1. Little variation in moves
Problem: Mafe often limited himself to bull rush and rip move, becoming predictable.
Impact: Opposing tackles were able to adjust as the game progressed.
Solution for 2025: Incorporate counters, such as spin move, cross-chop, or fake jab step + inside move to keep OLs guessing and he has the potential to do so.
Inconsistent timing on the get-off
Problem: His explosiveness was inconsistent on the snap, especially when aligned in the wide-9 or on unbalanced fronts.
Impact: He lost his initial step and, with it, control of the initial interaction.
Solution for 2025: Specific training on snap count reaction and adjustments with a timer in training (often used by elite DLs).
“Late” hands
Problem: On several snaps, Mafe positioned his hands late on first contact.
Impact: This allowed tackles to “lock” his rush lanes quickly.
Solution: Hand training with a focus on timing and placement – especially drills with contact shields and “strike zone” work.
Inconsistent finishing
Problem: Even when creating pressure, Mafe struggled to convert pressures into sacks (47 pressures, 6 sacks in 2024). Despite the sacks, there were plays where he generated clean pressure but was unable to finish, allowing the QB to escape. Improving the use of the body to close will be key to making the next leap.
Impact: Loss of explosive plays, escapes from mobile QBs.
Solution: Work on the closing burst and finishing techniques (swipe + dive, balancing the body around the pocket).
This wasn’t just on passing plays, but on running plays as well. I don’t know if he thought the tackle was guaranteed and let it go, but this mistake could have cost him the game.
Using too wide angles
Problem: On some snaps, especially when aligned in 7 or 9-tech, Mafe would overdo the outside arc.
Impact: This created a very long rush lane and allowed the QB to climb the pocket.
Solution: Shorten the arc in pass rush, using better leverage and hand placement instead of just relying on speed.
Notice that he is basically left unblocked, a mistake by the Cardinals OL. On the other hand, the Seahawks took away all the short passing options. Murray holds the ball and Mafe makes the sack. The angle could be better.
Evolution year after year
Mafe showed considerable improvement between 2022 and 2024, especially in defending against the run game and snap consistency. With Mike Macdonald, who has already developed technical edge rushers like Odafe Oweh and Jadeveon Clowney, Mafe is in an ideal system to:
Expand his range of moves.
Work on hand technique and angles.
Improve his use of counters and mid-rush transitions.
Based on his learning curve and the new coaching staff, it is entirely feasible that he will jump from solid edge to a top 20 edge rusher in the NFL by 2025.
One thing he did well was to mix his threat from the outside gap to create space on inside moves. The angle still has room for improvement, but excellent development.
Once again wins inside and shows good closing speed to get to the QB who was trying to improvise with his legs after escaping Devon Witherspoon’s blitz.
1. Better use of hands:
A clear improvement was the manual technique. Mafe incorporated more frequently the swipe-rip, the long arm bull and, occasionally, the ghost move, managing to collapse the pocket without relying solely on speed.
2. Discipline against the ground game:
Mafe also proved to be a more complete defender, maintaining gap integrity on outside runs and with 32 tackles against the run, of which 11 were tackles for loss. His low stance and anchoring strength have improved visibly.
Good angle and seals the edge. He absorbs the double block, not physically, but makes the RB have to make the cut and goes straight into the arms of a Seahawks defender.
Mafe attacks the inside gap, but notices the toss. He repositions himself and leaves a hand free. With that, Christian McCaffrey has to slow down and think about what do. This gives the team time to arrive and make the tackle. Excellent teamwork.
Good anticipation of what the Broncos would do. The Denver team would block him with a TE and an additional OL, but Mafe escapes and makes the tackle in the backfield.
Hall thinks he’s going to be replaced, Mafe repositions him. The EDGE not only keeps his gap, but has his inside hand free and makes the immediate tackle.
3. Situational intelligence:
With Mike Macdonald, Mafe was used in stunts, zone fakes and even occasionally dropping back to cover flats and, as in the play above, a banana route.
The Seahawks call their defensive package with Mafe playing inside. Instead of going for the pressure, he drops into coverage. Maybe the positioning isn’t the best, but he reads very well in front of the QB and deflects the pass.
Projected renewal value: between production and projection
With three seasons in the league, Mafe should enter the extension conversation before 2025. The market for average to good edge rushers has been redefined by a few recent deals:
Josh Uche (NE): 3 years, $36M ($12M/year);
Alex Highsmith (PIT): 4 years, $68M ($17M/year);
Samson Ebukam (IND): 3 years, $24M ($8M/year);
Montez Sweat (CHI): 4 years, $98M ($24.5M/year);
Mafe should fetch somewhere between $16M and $18M per year, depending on how they project his growth curve. If the Seahawks believe he can develop into a top-10 edge rusher with consistency, an extension similar to Highsmith’s would be justified. If they want to wait a little longer, year of production, they run the risk of seeing that value inflate on the open market.
Conclusion: Key player on the rise
The 2024 season was a positive step for Boye Mafe, who showed growth in several areas while still having room for improvement. With a promising future ahead of him, he could become one of the top players in the position if he continues at this pace. The expectation surrounding his renewal is high, and the next season will be crucial to solidify his status in the league.
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Conclusion
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/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26045116/usa_today_25075860.jpg "NCAA Football: Pop Tarts Bowl-Iowa State at Miami")
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