With these Prospect Profiles, we generally like to shine a highlight on players who haven’t constantly been thrust into the countrywide spotlight, prospective customers you likely haven’t been looking at on primetime tv. Enter Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
Toledo went eight several years (2009-2016) with zero gamers drafted into the NFL. The Rockets exploded back again on to the scene in 2017 with three gamers getting drafted, setting up with former Chiefs third-round choose Kareem Hunt. Which includes the 2017 picks, Toledo has sent nine gamers to the NFL via the draft because then, showcasing impression players like Hunt and Diontae Johnson. Mitchell has the probability not only to extend that the latest lineage, but also to turn out to be the Rockets’ initial Day 1 draft decide considering the fact that Dan Williams in 1993.
Mitchell’s deficiency of a spotlight dates again to his early days in substantial school. Regardless of residing in the expertise-wealthy point out of Florida, Mitchell discovered himself at Williston HS, a tiny, 1A college south of Gainesville. Misplaced in the dregs of substantial school recruits, Mitchell was a consensus three-star athlete position so far down the boards that he averted the attention of the state’s big three (Florida, FSU, Miami). 247Sporting activities.com rated Mitchell as the nation’s 114th best cornerback recruit.
Mitchell raked in a variety of little university presents from the likes of Alcorn State, Georgia Condition, Georgia Southern, South Dakota, and South Alabama prior to landing a couple gives from in-condition FAU and USF. At a satellite recruiting camp, viewing Toledo coaches took observe of Mitchell and sent an present. He fully commited to the Rockets, but a senior yr present from Illinois led Mitchell to consider his choices right before in the long run sticking with Toledo and heading north to Ohio.
At Toledo, tutorial struggles pressured Mitchell to grayshirt his freshman calendar year ahead of the COVID-19-shortened 2020 year held him typically quiet in 2020, as effectively. Following the sluggish commence, however, Mitchell came on potent as a complete-time starter in 2022. By the closing a few years of his school encounter, in simple fact, Mitchell didn’t overlook a solitary get started, playing by way of a few minimal accidents to make 40 straight begins.
In his 2nd period as a starter, Mitchell exploded onto the scene. Though primary the MAC in interceptions with five, two of which had been returned for touchdowns, Mitchell earned initially-staff All-MAC honors. But he caught the national eye right after foremost the place in passes defensed with 25, encouraging him to receive second-group All-American honors. He adopted that up with a solid 2023 season, as effectively, in which he recorded just one interception and 19 passes defensed (leading the MAC) and earned the exact same All-MAC and All-American accolades.
His elite capacity to split up passes occurred all in excess of the discipline. Not only did he display screen the pace and stickiness to stay with receivers down the area, but he also confirmed off an elite means to read the quarterback and receiver and generate upfield to crack up quick comebacks and screens. He could have the greatest ball abilities of any defensive again in this calendar year’s draft. What’s virtually as remarkable as what he did with those expertise, even though, is what he didn’t do. Mitchell’s elite coverage was accompanied by elite restraint. For the duration of his two next-staff All-American seasons, Mitchell drew only just one penalty (a go interference contact in 2022).
It tough to obtain holes in Mitchell’s recreation. The obtrusive red flag is definitely the absence of opposition, nevertheless he did experience off against a amount of gifted receivers, including prime wide receiver prospect Marvin Harrison Jr., who defeat him for a landing in 2022. There could be worry that Mitchell could not keep up as very well versus top-conclusion receiver expertise on a reliable foundation. Also, thanks to the absence of talent around him, there isn’t a ton of movie on Mitchell in really hard press coverage. In buy to enable protect extra of the industry, Mitchell was normally in zone or off-person coverage. Groups will want to get him coached up on press tactics early. In the same way, Mitchell lacks expertise in the slot, actively playing just about completely on the outside in college.
At the NFL scouting merge, Mitchell only improved his draft stock. He confirmed off pace that we presently knew was there with a 4.33-2nd 40-garden sprint. He also exhibited a astonishing power and explosiveness in the bench press and jumps that, even though not elite, have been extremely outstanding. Almost everything he did in Indianapolis was just a affirmation of what he’s put on movie at Toledo for the very last two years.
Mitchell is just about specific to come to be the Rockets’ initially initial-spherical choice in 31 many years. Both equally ESPN’s Matt Miller and Dane Brugler of The Athletic have Mitchell rated as the next-greatest cornerback prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft guiding only Alabama’s Terrion Arnold. Brugler ranks Mitchell as the draft’s 11th finest prospect, even though Miller ranks him a bit reduced at 15th.
Mitchell is an NFL-prepared cornerback possible to begin quickly anywhere he is picked out to go. Group’s will be tempted to use his elite abilities on exclusive teams, a little something he excelled at with Toledo, but his elite pace and ball capabilities will immediately become a element on some mid-initial round team’s protection. Mitchell is ultimately about to step into the spotlight, and how he handles it will ascertain irrespective of whether or not Toledo has manufactured an additional sudden NFL contributor.