High-Rising CB Prospect Heads to Minnesota for Visit with Vikings
Over the past few months, few draft prospects have done more for their stock than the CB prospect out of Toledo, Quinyon Mitchell.
Now, with the 2024 NFL Draft just a couple weeks away, Mitchell is viewed as one of the top prospects at the cornerback position, and on Monday, he is set to conduct a visit with the Minnesota Vikings.
Top CB Prospect Visits Vikings
Dane Brugler of The Athletic reported the visit, tweeting, “#Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell has aced the last eight months. All-American season. Dominant Senior Bowl. Outstanding Combine. Mitchell is in Minnesota today visiting the #Vikings (No. 11 overall).”
Mitchell came out of high school as a three-star recruit, and as a result, he committed to the University of Toledo to play his collegiate ball with the Rockets. The cornerback’s career began innocently enough, appearing in 16 games over his first two seasons and recording eight passes defended without an interception as more of a depth piece in the defense.
That all changed in 2022, though. The cornerback emerged as one of the better defensive players in the MAC, recording 41 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a ridiculous 19 passes defended (second-most in the entire FBS), and five interceptions. Two of those interceptions were returned for touchdowns. Needless to say, Mitchell had arrived as a big time playmaker.
Mitchell returned to Toledo for the 2023 season, and he followed up with another stellar campaign. He only recorded one interception in 2023, but he still recorded 18 passes defended (again, ranking second in the FBS in that category). He was named a second-team All-American by the AP as a result.
Heading into the offseason, though, there were still questions as to whether or not Mitchell’s production could translate against better competition. He put many of those worries to rest with a fabulous performance at the Senior Bowl, and he proceeded to showcase elite athletic skills at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Not only did Mitchell run the 40-yard dash in 4.33 seconds with a blazing 10-yard split of 1.51 seconds, but he also leapt 38 inches in the vertical and over 10 feet in the broad jump. As a result, he earned a Relative Athletic Score of 9.8, which ranked 50th among 2422 cornerbacks since 1987.
The Vikings do have plenty of bodies in their cornerback room right now, but they lack a player who has proven to thrive in man coverage. As a result, Brian Flores’ defense ran some of the most zone in the NFL last season, which is something that is atypical of a Flores defensive scheme.
Of course, many are hoping that Minnesota finds a way to trade up for a quarterback this spring, but if the price tag proves to be too high, Mitchell could be the player to help finally solidify the cornerback room for the Vikings.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Sports Reference CFB.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.