2024 NFL Draft Scouting Reports

January 26, 2024 1:00 AM EST

Evaluated by: Samuel Teets
Sports Talk with Sam Teets
Twitter: Sam_Teets33
January 26, 2024

Prospect Overview

2023: 13 games
2022: 14 games
2021: 13 games
2020: 6 games

Mitchell was a three-star athlete recruit from Williston Middle High School in Williston, Fla. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 1,747 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 1,457 for On3.com. Mitchell was an unranked two-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 73 grade out of 100.

Mitchell lettered three times in high school and finished his career with 86 tackles, 19 passes defensed, and eight interceptions. As a senior, he ran for 983 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 9.5 yards per carry. He also played on the varsity basketball team.

After enrolling at Toledo, Mitchell quickly became one of the country's most captivating cornerbacks. In 2022, he totaled five interceptions, 19 passes defensed, and two defensive touchdowns. His performance earned him First Team All-MAC and Third Team All-America honors.

Mitchell didn't come close to matching his 2022 statistical totals this past season, mostly because the smarter MAC offenses realized it wasn't a good idea to try him. Mitchell still earned First Team All-MAC and Second Team All-America honors as he recorded 18 passes defensed while not surrendering a touchdown.

Positives

According to Senior Bowl Director Jim Nagy, Mitchell is a verified 6004, 199 lbs., which is almost exactly his listed height and wight on Toledo's site. He also has broad shoulders that should amplify his wingspan. That's not mind-blowing size for a cornerback, but it pairs really well with his other athletic traits.

Mitchell has a chance to be one of the top standouts at the NFL Combine this spring. According to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, Mitchell can bench press 225 lbs. 21 times consecutively and squat it 44 times. The explosive cornerback has been measured at a top GPS speed of 23.58 miles per hour and tested in the 4.3s for the 40-yard dash this past spring.

Mitchell reads the quarterback's eyes to jump routes and has the elite closing speed to undercut throws or prevent yards after the catch by making a hit at the catch point. The jump his coverage instincts made over the past two years is very impressive. He's much quicker to close throwing lanes and takes fewer false steps than in previous years.

Mitchell is physical at the catch point to break up passes or establish leverage. He has also figured out how to play around receivers with his long arms while not fouling. This means he can still stay leveraged over the top while knowing there's still an opportunity to get his hand on underthrown passes.

Mitchell was equally dominant in man and zone coverage in 2023. His athletic traits make him fairly scheme versatile, but his developing instincts really pop in zone. Mitchell excels at flying in to make big plays when allowed to watch the quarterback and route combinations unfold. He shows good awareness and positioning in zone to eliminate multiple routes.

Dropped interceptions have been a recurring theme for Mitchell, but his ball skills up until he has to squeeze it are outstanding. He high point throws and make catches outside his frame.

Areas for Improvement

Mitchell leaves interceptions on the table. Dropped and bobbled passes have been a common theme on his tape the past two years. Maybe his official hand measurements will reveal an area of concern. However, dropped interceptions are more of nuisance than red flag. These issues won't make a significant impact on Mitchell's draft stock.

Despite all of his athletic upside, Mitchell isn't a sudden or twitchy athlete. He has limited agility to turn on a dime or mirror receivers at the top of the route's stem. Mitchell also appears to deal with some hip tightness that prevents consecutive hip flips. His transitions can be high and awkward, and he's prone to opening his hips too early. He appears uncomfortable working in a low backpedal, instead preferring to play higher up.

Mitchell's hand placement can be high when attempting to jam receivers in press coverage. He's not the best at mirroring releases yet, so landing an effective jam is huge for him. He'll need to refine his punch technique and hand placement to maximize his physical gifts.

While he has good size, Mitchell isn't a natural at defeating blocks. He takes steep angles to the ball, which lead to missed tackles.

Mitchell benefited from facing lesser competition at Toledo. The only Power Five programs he faced over the past two years were Illinois (2023) and Ohio State (2022). Neither were textbook performances. It might've been the directions given by his coach, but Mitchell allowed way to much of a cushion when facing the Buckeyes and didn't attempt to crowd either of the team's top two receivers during their routes.

Draft Stock

Mitchell has accepted an invitation to the 2024 Senior Bowl. How he matches up against the event's star receivers should impact his draft stock. Some of the top receivers headed to Mobile in late January include potential top 64 picks in Xavier Legette, Ladd McConkey, and Devontez Walker and potential top 100 picks in Malachi Corley, Ricky Pearsall, Johnny Wilson, and Roman Wilson.

Despite the lack of significant tape against NFL-caliber pass catchers, it seems very likely that Mitchell will be a first round selection. He's certainly more risky than proven Power Five options like Terrion Arnold, Cooper DeJean, Kool-Aid McKinstry, and Nate Wiggins but is more athletically gifted than the late round one/early round two options in Kalen King, Kamari Lassiter, and Ennis Rakestraw Jr.

Expect Mitchell to hear his name called in the back half of the first round as NFL teams race to draft one of the few high-ranking cornerback prospects in the 2024 class.

Games Evaluated

• Miami OH (2023)
• Eastern Michigan (2023)
• San Jose State (2023)
• Illinois State (2023)
• Western Michigan (2022)
• Ball State (2022)
• Northern Illinois (2022)
• Ohio State (2022)