Most people didn’t know about Quinyon Mitchell until he blew up the Senior Bowl, but everybody knows about him now. The Eagles were in obvious need of another fast, aggressive cornerback with ball skills to pair with Darius Slay, and to be the team’s Darius Slay of the future. Mitchell absolutely can be that guy — his tape brings to mind both Slay and Richard Sherman.
A three-star recruit from Williston High School in Williston, Florida, Mitchell committed to Toledo and stuck with that commitment despite a late offer from Illinois. Other programs offering him out of high school were Florida Atlantic, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, South Alabama and South Florida. We’re guessing that the major schools that turned a blind eye probably regret that now.
Mitchell really got his name out there with a great Senior Bowl week, where he definitely answered any questions about his ability to handle receivers from bigger programs than Bowling Green and Ball State (no offense to those fine institutions).
In his 2023 season (his fourth with the Rockets), Mitchell allowed 27 receptions on 62 targets for 290 yards, 67 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, one interception, 14 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 51.1. 2022 saw Mitchell allow 27 catches on 70 targets for 270 yards, 58 yards after the catch, three touchdowns, five interceptions, 13 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 34.8. So, this is no one-year or one-week wonder, and you can throw the small-school dings out the window. Mitchell’s skill set is absolutely transitive to the NFL, and in a “right now” sense.
PLUSES
— Outstanding turn and transition to stick with his target out of press coverage; he’s sticky every step through the route.
— Will slow-play his coverage when playing off, and has a great sense of when to hold back and when to get aggressive to the ball.
— Uses his long arms to envelop and deflect; it’s almost as if his arms are a second defender that gets there before the rest of him does.
— Ferocious closing speed allows him to bait quarterbacks and jump routes at the last second.
— Excellent technique (for the most part) against smaller, quicker receivers running angular routes; a lot of cornerbacks at his height get moved one way or another, but he’s quite practiced at watching the numbers and breaking when he needs to.
MINUSES
— Right now, I like him more in man than in zone; he’s more of a clampdown specialist than a true collaborator in more complex coverages.
— Will occasionally turn his back to the target too long when transitioning from bail, and that can have him losing sight of his assignment.
— Footwork gets a little clunky at times, which NFL coaching should take care of.
— Like a lot of taller cornerbacks, it can take him an extra millisecond to get everything aligned at full speed.
— Willing tackler on run plays and screens, but he’s more pesky than dominant.
At the NFL level, I would play Mitchell much more in press than in off; he showed he’s good in off because he did it so much, but I want him on that receiver from the jump all the way through the route. His Senior Bowl week took care of any issues with talent from bigger schools. First-round talent if you want a big, aggressive CB1.
Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) February 26, 2024
PLUSES
— Outstanding turn and transition to stick with his target out of press coverage; he's sticky every step through the route
— Will slow-play his coverage when playing off, and has a great sense of when to hold back and when to get aggressive… pic.twitter.com/FQ5NsocUMu
