NFL Draft countdown: Focus on Colts' first-round pick at No. 15

Toledo defensive back Quinyon Mitchell.

The 2024 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching. Last year, the Jets took DE Will McDonald 15th overall. This year, Indianapolis has the 15th pick and most experts have the team targeting the same dynamic cornerback.

In five years as a Toledo Rocket, cornerback Quinyon Mitchell had 123 tackles (93 solo), 45 passes defended and six interceptions. All but one of those interceptions and 19 of his pass deflections came during an outstanding 2022 campaign that earned him First-Team All-MAC honors.

He also earned high praise from NFL draft analysts. Here’s some of what they had to say:

ESPN (Mel Kiper)

“I have four CBs in my top 25 overall but don’t have top-10 grades on any of them. The best of the bunch is Mitchell, who has been moving up since a spectacular performance in Mobile, Alabama, in early February at Senior Bowl practices.”

Kiper was impressed enough by Mitchell’s 4.33 time at the NFL Scouting Combine to move him up the board but one ESPN colleague has been on board for years.

ESPN (Field Yates)

Apparently, Yates enjoys the Mid-American Conference and what Mitchell once did to the Northern Illinois Huskies.

“Mitchell’s four-interception game in 2022 – including two that were run back for touchdowns – was one of the most enjoyable performances to study for any prospect in the class. He looks like a receiver with the football in his hands and has elite speed.”

Yates describes Mitchell as having “a nose for the football.”

Bleacher Nation (Jennifer Eakins)

Using a mock draft simulator from Pro Football Focus, Eakins also linked Mitchell to the Colts with the 15th pick.

“The Colts prioritize their secondary, as they should, by selecting Toledo’s Mitchell. He boasts elite athleticism and shows a knack for locking down the zone. Mitchell is a playmaker with raw talent and could slide right into the Colts secondary with solid coaching.”

Eakins points out that PFF has Mitchell as their second-highest-ranked cornerback and tenth on their 2024 Big Board behind Iowa’s Cooper DeJean. Had Mitchell played for school like Iowa, he’d probably rank well ahead of DeJean.

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