Name: Quinyon Mitchell 

School: Toledo

Year: Junior

Position: Cornerback

Measurables: 6’0”, 196 lbs.

Combine: ARM: 31 1/8" / HAND: 9 1/8" / VERTICAL: 38" / BROAD: 10' / BENCH:  20 Reps.

40-YD DASH: 4.33 / 10-YD SPLIT: 1.51 

Stats:

Courtesy of Sports-Reference.com

General Info:

A very productive corner and running back from Williston High School in Florida, Quinyon Mitchell committed to the University of Toledo Rockets as a three-star recruit. Joining during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Mitchell still played in all six games allowed that year. Not unlike the rest of us, Mitchell used the time off to put on nearly 20 pounds; although I assume his addition was crafted through the weight room and not the La-Z-Boy. Mitchell was able to use his extra year of eligibility and develop into one of the best Toledo Rockets this century.

Returning to a full season, Mitchell took over the starting role as a boundary cornerback. He finished second on the team with eight pass breakups. The Rockets only allowed 21.8 points per game and ended the season with an appearance in the Lost Bahamas Bowl.

Mitchell really broke out in his sophomore year. He led the entire nation and set a new school record with 25 pass deflections. He added 41 tackles and five interceptions. Mitchell also put together one of the most impressive individual performances for a defensive back in recent history. In week six of the 2022 season, Quinyon Mitchell recorded four interceptions on the road at Northern Illinois, returning two of them for touchdowns. Toledo won the game 52-32 in large part due to Mitchell’s record-setting afternoon. He was voted the Walter Camp National Player of the Week and tied the Toledo record for four interceptions in one game. Mitchell and the Rockets ended the season strong. He recorded three pass breakups in the Mid-American Conference Championship victory against Ohio and had two tackles in their bowl victory over Liberty.

Mitchell was awarded first-team All-MAC and Walter Camp second-team All-American honors. He was establishing himself as one of the top cornerbacks in the country, even while receiving less national recognition while at a Group of Five school. Mitchell became an Associated Press All-American and Chuck Bednarik semifinalist which is the award given to the most Outstanding Defensive Player, something no Toledo Rocket has ever been nominated for. Quinyon continued padding the stats with 41 total tackles, one interception, and finishing second in the country with 19 pass deflections.

Mitchell will be one of the most interesting players in this draft. He has already been improving his national exposure, by all accounts dominating the Senior Bowl in early February. The Ringer’s Danny Kelly said he was, “maybe the best all-around player at the event, showing incredible instincts and excellent ball skills”. He will almost certainly be the highest Toledo Rocket drafted since Dan Williams went 11 in 1993. The question is whether this small school athlete with elite college production could overtake the field and hear his name called as the first defensive back off the board.

Positional Skills:

Strengths

By far, Mitchell’s most impressive skill is his ability to break on the ball and knock away passes. He has superb awareness for passing lanes and the reflexes to meet receivers at the catch point. He’s a talented read and react player, playing primarily in zone coverage at Toledo. On tape, the receiver lined opposite him looks open until the final moment when Mitchell flies in to disrupt the play. You don’t see many players with his intelligence and reflexes working in tandem. Mitchell is rarely out of position which allows him to rely on this quick-twitch decision-making. He lost a single one-on-one rep at the Senior Bowl and even that required an incredible diving catch by Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson.

There isn’t much that sticks out regarding Mitchell’s play against the run. He’s a willing tackler and is typically in good position thanks to his sticky coverage. He did show some ability to play as a blitzer near the line of scrimmage and has the physicality to play in the slot. Most importantly, Mitchell plays with a swagger and tenacity whether he’s lined up on an island or coming downhill to make a play on the ball. He’s also an incredible athlete, running the second fastest 40 time among corners at the combine. Mitchell also benched the most reps out of the cornerback class as well. He could have transferred to a larger school but stayed at Toledo and was the leader of their best defense in nearly a decade.

Weaknesses

Many of Mitchell’s strengths are traits that could lead to his weaknesses. He bases his game around a read and react style, so he can become too aggressive at times. NFL receivers will look to feast on him with double moves. Since Mitchell didn’t play much press coverage, there are questions about his ability to track receivers downfield. Although he showed phenomenal straight line speed, Mitchell tested just average in the explosive vertical and broad jump categories.

Mitchell was typically in good position in the run game, but he could improve in this area at the next level. He has the vigor and instincts to fight downhill to meet ball carriers in the open field. If he doesn’t secure the tackle initially, he has trouble wrapping up and driving through the ground.  

The player I keep seeing when watching Mitchell is former Washington Husky and NFL star Marcus Peters. Peters was a tenacious zone/off-man corner with incredible ball skills. He bounced around several teams because of his boom-or-bust playstyle. Mitchell could have a similar career arc if he goes to a scheme that doesn’t fit his strengths.

Fit with the Packers:

Bleacher Report’s Cory Giddings compared Mitchell to current Packer Corey Ballentine. You’d have to think Ballentine would be the floor for Quinyon Mitchell, but this could be a comparison that helps Packer coaches envision how Mitchell would fit in with this team. Perhaps the biggest question mark with Mitchell’s fit comes from the unknown that is new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.

If former DC Joe Barry could design a corner, he would be the spitting image of Mitchell. Specializing in off-man and soft zone coverage while playing very little press throughout his career at Toledo, Mitchell would have been a perfect match for the past defensive regime. The perceived emphasis coming from Hafley is aggressive press coverage with single high safety looks. Mitchell has the talent to be a CB1 on many teams, but Gutekunst might look to other prospects who fit the new concepts Hafley hopes to bring on the back end.

The Green Bay Packers can be assumed to have cornerback at or near the top of their needs heading into free agency and the draft. This class is deep at corner, but there are no household names viewed as slam dunks at the top of the draft. Mitchell has great size, attitude, technique, and playmaking skills. He didn’t play against top competition at Toledo but was the star of Senior Bowl week. Time will tell if he needs to play a specific way to thrive, but the Packers’ shift in defensive philosophy doesn’t suit Mitchell’s current strengths.

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