With just hours to go, former Gopher Boye Mafe anxiously awaiting where he goes in NFL Draft

Boye Mafe is going to realize his dream of becoming an NFL player when his name is called in the 2022 NFL Draft. Mafe is a former Gophers pass rusher whose stock has been going up since the Senior Bowl.

Mafe graded well in the NFL Combine and Gophers Pro-Day. Now, he’s putting time in at Training Haus in Eagan before the draft starts on Thursday. We caught up with Mafe on Tuesday.

“It’s going to be surreal to hear my name called during the NFL Draft. For right now, I’m just going to focus on my training and let the rest play out,” said Mafe.

***To see an interview with Boye Mafe and Sports Performance Coach Bill Welle, CLICK PLAY ABOVE***

Mafe is working out with former teammates Sam Schlueter and Micah Dew-Treadway. Currently, draft prognosticators see Mafe being taken as high as #23 by the Arizona Cardinals, #30 by the Kansas City Chiefs, or possibly #35 by the New York Jets.

When asked about being drafted, Mafe was humble and to the point. “No matter where I go I’ll be enjoying this experience with my family and a few close friends, but I’ll tell you the first person I’ll hug is my dad,” Mafe added.

In 2021, Mafe had 34 tackles, 7 tackles for a loss, and 7.5 sacks in 12 games.

The 2022 NFL Draft will begin on Thursday at 7 p.m.