Quinyon Mitchell scouting report: 3 best NFL landing spots for Toledo CB

Quinyon Mitchell is among the best cornerback prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. He finished his college football career with the Toldeo Rockets, where he was named a second-team All-American in his final season.

He was also selected as an All-Conference player in the MAC for two consecutive years, so he has found plenty of collegiate success.

Cornerbacks are always among the most popular players for teams to target early in the draft process. Their overall value has also increased even further in recent years with the development of modern high-powered passing offenses.

Teams are looking for more defensive backs to counter this recent change, which helps players like Mitchell see their draft stock rise even higher.

As things stand, entering draft week, Mitchell comes in at #14 on Tony Pauline's big board of the top prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. In his last mock draft, Pauline had Mitchell landing with the Indianapolis Colts with the 15th overall pick.

Quinyon Mitchell's draft profile in the spotlight

Athleticism is one of the most important traits teams look for in top cornerback prospects during the NFL draft. In order to match up with most wide receivers at the next level, defensive backs benefit from possessing a solid combination of size, strength, speed and agility, among other qualities. This helps them cover their assignments while also disrupting their routes at the line of scrimmage.

This favors Quinyon Mitchell as a cornerback prospect in the 2024 NFL draft. He is big and long for his position at 6'0 tall, weighing 196 pounds and has a 76-inch wingspan. This allows him to be physical at the line scrimmage against opposing wide receivers, altering their routes and disrupting their timing with their quarterbacks.

Mitchell has also demonstrated elite speed, especially for his massive positional size. He has reportedly been unofficially clocked around 4.3 seconds for the 40-yard dash and will have the opportunity to make that time official at the NFL Combine if he chooses to do so.

While Mitchell intercepted just one pass at Toledo, that is much more due to opposing quarterbacks avoiding him with their passes than his inability to play the ball in the air. His coverage skills are better demonstrated by allowing below a 50 passer rating when targeted across his final two seasons. All of this makes him an exciting prospect to keep an eye on during the draft.

Quinyon Mitchell draft projection: Best fits for Toledo CB

His elite athleticism and proven success in college football puts Quinyon Mitchell among the top cornerback prospects in the 2024 NFL draft. He is projected to go somewhere in the first two rounds of the draft, but his elite ceiling suggests he could be a top-15 pick.

Here are three potential landing spots that could be interested in drafting him.

1] Chicago Bears

Jaylon Johnson was the highest-rated cornerback in the entire NFL last season, according to his PFF grade. Unfortunately for the Chicago Bears, he is scheduled to become a free agent this year. If they are unable to keep him, they will need a new cornerback to try to replace his elite contributions.

2] Detroit Lions

While the Detroit Lions were the best-rushing defenses in the NFL last season, allowing the fewest yards per game, they ranked among the bottom ten teams in pass coverage. Cornerbacks are one of the weakest position groups on their roster, so finding an upgrade in the 2024 NFL draft should be one of their top priorities.

3] Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles suffered an epic collapse in the second half of the 2023 NFL season, losing seven of their final eight games after starting the year with a 10-1 record. Their defense was one of the biggest reasons, as they allowed the second-most points in the league during that stretch. Adding a cornerback like Quinyon Mitchell could help them solve some of their issues.