2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell

From now until the 2024 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top 10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.

#27 QUINYON MITCHELL, CB, TOLEDO (R-JUNIOR) — 6003, 195 LBS.

Senior Bowl Invitee

MEASUREMENTS

THE GOOD

— Has the size, height, and length you look for in an outside corner
— Possesses good play speed and explosiveness for the position
— Has the quickness to change direction when mirroring receivers on their routes
— Has experience playing press man, off man, and various zone coverages
— Closes ground quickly to contest passes
— Plays through receivers’ hands at the catch point
— Will battle through the end of a rep to try and break up the pass
— Plays with good instincts, reading the quarterback’s eyes as he drops back to throw
— Has a knack for undercutting routes to make plays on the football
— Made 45 pass deflections through three seasons at Toledo
— Has played on the outside as well as some in the slot
— Effective gunner on kicks and punts, having blocked a punt last season

THE BAD

— Lacks twitchiness to stick with nuanced route runners in their transitions
— Can do a better job dropping his hips in transition to prevent separation
— Tends to provide a nice cushion in off coverage, leading to easy completions
— Spatial awareness in off/zone coverage can use some improvement
— Needs to show more urgency and effort in run support
— Can do a better job securing tackles in space and near the line of scrimmage
— Most of his ball production in 2022 came in one game

BIO

— Redshirt junior prospect from Williston, Fla.
— Three-star prospect who recorded eight career interceptions in high school
— Committed to Toledo and played in all six games in the COVID-shortened season, making seven total tackles
— Started all 13 games in 2021 and notched 34 total tackles (28 solo), a sack, a forced fumble, and eight pass deflections
— Started all 13 games in 2022 and logged 42 total tackles (27 solo), 19 pass deflections, and five interceptions (two returned for touchdowns)
— Started all 13 games in 2023 and posted 41 total tackles (32 solo), 18 pass deflections, and one interception
— Communications major
— Second-team All-American (2023) first-team All-MAC (2022-23) AP third-team All-American (2022)

TAPE BREAKDOWN

Quinyon Mitchell may have made his name at a smaller school in Toledo, but the former MAC defender shouldn’t be considered an inferior prospect based on where he played. Mitchell came to Toledo as a three-star prospect and made himself into one of the best cover corners in the nation, logging a ridiculous 37 pass deflections and six interceptions in his last two seasons. Pair his ball production with his 6-0, 195-pound frame and Mitchell has the profile of an ideal outside corner at the next level.

When you pop in the tape on Mitchell, you see that size and production show up on the film. Mitchell has great instincts as well as fluid body control, able to break on passes quickly as the receiver comes out of his break. He does a great job undercutting routes as you can see in the clips below against Northern Illinois last year when Mitchell picked off four passes, returning two for touchdowns.

Here’s another example of Mitchell’s awareness and ability to stay sticky in coverage against Western Michigan where he is off-man coverage against the receiver at the bottom of your screen. He sees the receiver break toward the ball on the comeback route and jumps it, stepping in front of the pass to snag the interception.

Mitchell has good play speed and can operate in a variety of different roles, be it in press-man coverage, off man, or in zone. He has experience playing in the slot as well as on the outside and also was a big contributor on special teams the last couple of seasons. You see his usefulness in the two-clip series below. Mitchell gets a key pass breakup on third down while lined up in the slot, driving on the receiver on a slant route and forcing the incompletion as he plays the ball through his hands. The next play, Mitchell gets his hands on the punt and his teammate recovers the loose ball and brings back deep into Buffalo territory.

Mitchell competes from snap to whistle, fighting with receivers to stay in-phase throughout their route and contesting the pass throughout the process of the catch. Watch this play where Mitchell is 1-on-1 with Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. at the top of your screen. Harrison ends up making an incredible toe-tap touchdown right along the boundary but watch as Mitchell competes with him throughout the rep, attempting to knock Harrison out of bounds as contests the pass.

When it comes to zone or off-man coverage, there are times when Mitchell is a little too generous with the cushion he gives on underneath routes, leading to easy completions that can turn into YAC opportunities. Watch this rep where Mitchell gives the receiver 10 yards of cushion to start the rep. He doesn’t properly close the distance on the in-breaking route, leading to an easy pitch and catch, the receiver getting to the middle of the field and finding the soft spot in coverage to make the explosive play.

Here’s another example against Ohio State where Mitchell could have played with better spatial awareness. The receiver runs right past him and exploits the soft spot in coverage between him and the safety to make the catch downfield. The linebacker picks up the receiver running in the flat, leaving Mitchell responsible for the man running through his area.

Another potential negative in Mitchell’s game is his lack of desire to mix it up in run support. He often pulls up early when the play is run away from him, showing a lack of pursuit and urgency to get to the ball. He also needs to clean up his tackling technique. He has the tendency to drop his head and leave his feet, like you see in the rep below, coming off the edge and whiffing on the runner approaching the line of scrimmage.

CONCLUSION:

Quinyon Mitchell is a battle-tested cornerback who has experience playing in multiple coverages and can become a reliable starter in nearly any scheme. His awareness in off man/zone coverage can improve as well as his tackling, but his ability to remain sticky in coverage, contest at the catch point, and compete throughout the rep are calling cards that should help him be one of the first corners off the board.

Mitchell said at the Senior Bowl that he looks up to Eagles CB Darius Slay as a player he likes to model his game after, and he shares plenty of similarities to the long-time NFL veteran. The two have near identical size and length while Slay also can play in array of coverages, having developed over time into one of the better cover corners in the league. Mitchell has the tools to become a quality cover corner himself early in his NFL career. With the Steelers needing a long-term option opposite of Joey Porter Jr., Mitchell could be a guy that they could target.

Projection: Day One
Depot Draft Grade: 8.6 Year One Quality Starter (First Round)
Games Watched: vs Buffalo (2023) at Ohio State (2022), at Northern Illinois (2022)