HEIGHT: 6'0"

WEIGHT: 195

HAND: 9 1/8"

ARM: 31 1/8"

WINGSPAN: 75 3/4"

40-YARD DASH: 4.33

3-CONE:

SHUTTLE:

VERTICAL: 38"

BROAD: 10'0"

POSITIVES

— Very good vision when in zone coverage. Has the route recognition needed to patiently read and react to the quarterback or the ball in the air.

— Shows the speed necessary to carry receivers deep. Gets to his top speed quickly and has great turnover.

— Solid tackler, especially when tackling receivers. Not afraid to be physical out of break and deliver a blow.

NEGATIVES

— Slower transitions at times. Doesn't always trust his eyes out of breaks and can be slow to open and run downfield.

— Questionable tackler in open space. Not interested in wrapping up bigger running backs, often dips his head and throws a shoulder at ball-carriers on the edge.

2023 STATISTICS

— 13 G, 41 TOT, 2 TFL, 1 INT, 18 PD

NOTES

— DOB: NA

— 40 career starts

— 3-star recruit in the 2020 class, per 247Sports

— 2023 second-team All-American (AP)

— 2023 and 2022 first-team All-MAC

OVERALL

Quinyon Mitchell is one of the top cornerbacks at the Group of Five level. The three-year starter was quite productive when playing the ball. He has the strength and physicality to defend the run and the speed and ball skills to cover downfield.

Mitchell is a very good coverage defender who performs best in off coverage. Though he has a rigid backpedal at times, he has the patience to allow routes to develop and react with quick feet to transition. He doesn't always trust his eyes when breaking, which has caused his transitions to be slow and sloppy. But when he's able to stay square and drive on what he sees, Mitchell has explosive breaks.

Mitchell drives using very good angles, combined with the ball skills necessary to disrupt catches. He can be slow to open and run at times, but he has the top-end speed to run with most receivers he faced. When he's able to get his head around and play the ball, Mitchell has great awareness and ball skills, though he lacks the hands to capitalize on all of his opportunities.

When tackling and playing the run game, Mitchell does a very good job of keeping his leverage on the edge. When taking on blocks, he does a good job of keeping his outside arm free and condensing running lanes. He did struggle with disengaging and working past blocks on the edge at times.

When tackling receivers on the edge, Mitchell does a great job of being physical and running his feet through the tackle. On the flip side, when tackling running backs, he has less security when tackling. Mitchell often opts to dive at ball-carriers' legs and not wrap up in the open field. Though he has the willingness to contribute against the run, he will need to work on securing the tackle in the NFL.

Mitchell has the skill set to play both man and zone, but he would be best served in a zone scheme, where he can play from off coverage and see the routes develop in front of him. He has the ceiling of a top-15 selection, with the potential of being a Day 1 starter and lengthy NFL career.

GRADE: 8.5 (Impact Player — 1st Round)

OVERALL RANK: 10

POSITION RANK: CB1

PRO COMPARISON: Corey Ballentine

Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings

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