POSITION: Linebacker
SCHOOL: Wyoming
HEIGHT: 6’2”
WEIGHT: 239 pounds
CAREER BACKGROUND
A native of Lone Tree, Colorado, Chad Muma attended Legend High School. After playing defensive back in his junior season of high school football, he switched to linebacker for his senior season. During that final year, Muma tallied 77 tackles and eight tackles for loss. He was then selected to the 2017 second team All-State Class 5A team and to the 2017 Denver Post All-Colorado football team. 247Sports rated him as a three-star recruit and as the ninth best prospect to come out of the state of Colorado. Despite being recruited by Colorado State, Hawai’i and Nevada, Muma eventually decided to play at Wyoming.
Reserve Role
As a true freshman in 2018, Muma appeared in all 12 games. He mainly saw reps on special teams and recorded two tackles. He appeared in 13 games in 2019, with two starts. Muma made plays all over the field for the Cowboys defense. In total, he finished with 51 tackles (28 solo), three tackles for loss, one sack and one pass breakup.
Heavy Production
Despite a shortened schedule to just six games in 2020, Muma was a tackling machine in every contest. He led Wyoming on the season in categories like tackles (72), solo tackles (39), tackles for loss (eight) and sacks (three). His 11.8 tackles per game were the sixth highest average of tackles in the nation for the season. Overall, Muma earned first-team All-Mountain West honors for 2020.
2021 was yet another season where Muma was able to pad the stat sheet heavily. He finished with 142 tackles (85 solo), eight tackles for loss, three interceptions, one fumble recovery, one pass breakup and one blocked kick. Muma earned Associated Press third team All-American honors. And for the second consecutive season, he was named first-team All-Mountain West. Muma took place in the 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl after the season. His nine tackles in the Senior Bowl game were the most of any player there.
SCOUTING REPORT
Instead of listing positives and negatives for traits, this year we will be listing the best trait of each prospect and work our way down to the biggest area of improvement/absent trait(s), from top to bottom.
Football IQ
First and foremost, this linebacker provides instincts and elite level read and reactionary skills. This allows him to play and chase from plenty of different areas on the field. On the other hand, his ability to adjust and think on his feet while in space is an underrated part of his game. Muma is also prepared for anything that an opposing offense may throw his way. That is especially true, because of his attention to detail in areas like body positioning, taking angles and his body control in space.
Lateral Mobility
The long speed and short area burst is what separates Muma from other linebackers in this area of his game. He has smooth, nimble footwork that includes consistently long strides taken to reach ball carriers, pass catchers or quarterbacks. Other than that quickness, Muma is incredibly savvy when it comes to slicing around blockers or other traffic to get his hat to the football. The combination of his agility and quickness make it seem like he is the most explosive defender on the field, from time to time.
Tackling
Obviously, the item of missed tackles can vary, depending on defensive scheme or by season. Muma has not had an issue in that department, however. His stats speak for themselves. But more importantly, it is his ability to make stops in all areas and situationally that make Muma stand out. His hitting power is awe-inspiring, and it mixes in well with his dense build. He can lay a powerful shoulder if he wants to. When executing a wrap up, Muma does well to get his weight on top of opponents and keeps his strike zone compact.
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.
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