Quinyon Mitchell was originally a three-star recruit out of Williston High School in Florida. Following high school, Mitchell opted to join the University of Toledo.
In 2022, he played in 13 games, tallying 837 snaps. He racked up 42 tackles (27 solo) and added 14 stops. In the secondary, Mitchell forced 19 pass breakups, five interceptions, and gave up a QB rating when targeted of 32.4. In 2023, he came in playing dynamic, starting in 12 games and accumulating 41 tackles (32 solo), one TFL, one interception, and 18 pass breakups.
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Player Bio
Name: Quinyon Mitchell
Jersey: No. 27
Position: Cornerback
School: Toledo
Class: Redshirt Junior
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 196 lbs.
Games Watched: Bowling Green (2022), Northern Illinois (2022), Buffalo (2023), Illinois (2023), Miami OH (2023, twice)
Major Injury History: None
Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell with a great PBU utilizing his length to disrupt the catch point.
Mitchell is the top prospect from the MAC in the 2024 NFL Draft class. pic.twitter.com/7anWCLhX4Y
— Seven Rounds in Heaven (@7RoundsInHeaven) December 2, 2023
Awards
2022: Earned First Team All-MAC, Third Team All-American (AP) and Second Team All-American (PFF).
2023: Earned First Team All-MAC, First Team All-American (The Athletic) Second Team All-American (FWAA) Second Team All-American (AP), Second Team All-American (USA Today)
Strengths
Mitchell demonstrates great coverage ability with his instincts. Most of the time, he lined up off-man pre-snap and rarely played in press man, but when he did, he played it solidly. Shows the ability to backpedal and recover and has the ball skills to make plays. He has loose hips to go along with great speed that allows him to flip around and run in coverage if needed. Aggressive against receiver blocks whether in the run game or the offense trying to get the screen game going outside on the perimeter. He attacks the ball with authority, downhill with quick read-and-react ability. A physical tackler, he possesses toughness and is truly aggressive defending the run game.
Weaknesses
Mitchell shows limited agility and a high backpedal that makes him lose a step in transition at times. He sometimes gives too much cushion to the underneath routes, allowing them to pick up solid yardage. Needs to get consistent with his hand fighting and placement in press coverage.
Summary
Prototypical, NFL-caliber arm length, imposing size, and build with good straight-line speed. Mitchell is great at getting to the ball when it arrives while being physical at the catch point to break up passes or establish leverage on the receiver. With his ability to demonstrate great instincts and field vision along with his physical tools, ball skills, and upside as a zone corner, I think he has “the sky is the limit” type of potential. He will be the No. 1 cornerback on an NFL team soon.
Pro Comparison: Charvarius Ward
Draft Projection: Late First Round
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