2022 Chiefs Draft Prospect: Chad Muma

Versatility

Muma can lineup and produce from all three linebacker positions. Furthermore, he has also been used sparingly closer to the line of scrimmage. Muma then aligns on the outer edge of the defensive line in those moments. Most of all, he shows comfort and confidence when rushing the passer and dropping into coverage. Muma could certainly be categorized as a bit of a throwback type of linebacker and could provide true three-down dependability for an NFL defense. In addition to being able to lineup all over the defensive formation, Muma can be a leader to call out play calls. This defender has constantly worked hard to make hustle plays with effort and with backside pursuit. Finally, Muma continually thrives in dirty areas, while not always making the wow plays that jump off the screen.

Pass Coverage

There are admittedly a couple of items for Muma to clean up as a defender in pass coverage. For example, his reactions and being able to find his man when dropping can be a bit late. Muma is also accustomed to occasional balance issues. Nevertheless, there is no denying his instincts, athleticism and sneaky good ball skills while in coverage. Muma is rather refined when it comes to body positioning, recognition of landmarks and timing to jump into throwing lanes. He works tenaciously when dropping to find depth. Sometimes, that can lead to him getting too far behind the routes. Muma has the recovery speed to make up for it, though. His nose for the football allows him to make quick, split-second decisions.

Flexibility

Muma has loose and fluid hips. His history as a high school defensive back allows him to play comfortably when in coverage. Mainly, Muma uses a half-turn technique when working to find depth. His change of direction skills and quickness allow him to affect plays in multiple ways, at the same time. For instance, Muma can jump into throwing lanes, make run stops when working sideline-to-sideline and can rush the passer on delayed blitzes. He is simply difficult for opponents to get around. And if they are able to, it takes plenty of hard work within excruciating one-on-one battles in the open field.

Run Defense

As mentioned earlier, Muma possesses stunning hitting power. He has the ability to work downhill and in space alike. That allows him to make stops in many different areas of the field, as a result. There are still some areas to improve upon as a run defender, though. Despite some urgent processing speed, recognizing play direction or working through traffic can often lead to slight hesitation from Muma. He is also a bit late to fill run fits on occasion. But overall, Muma can chase down ball carriers in a variety of ways and has the burst to outrun arguably any opposing running back.

Block Deconstruction

There are many questions surrounding his hand usage and hand technique at the point of attack. Muma will often fail to extend his arms against blockers. Sometimes, he will look to outmuscle them or run around them as a result. Muma is not necessarily limited with functional strength. Yet, he could stand to be more assertive. That is especially true when it comes to deconstructing off of blocks.

CHIEFS FIT

The Kansas City Chiefs have to be pleased with the steps that Nick Bolton and Willie Gay took last season. However, needing another option alongside of them would not be the worst thing in the world. Muma is similar to those two, when you consider his quickness and instincts. The Wyoming product may be a bit more well-rounded when it comes to playing in space or in coverage, nonetheless. Because of that, Muma could slide in well with a duo like Bolton and Gay, while being a pest as a weakside linebacker.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs draft prospect profiles throughout this spring. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.