2024 NFL Combine Notes: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo

The Toledo corner took center stage at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis as part of the Combine workouts.

All eyes were on former Toledo Rocket Quinyon Mitchell on Friday afternoon, as the Florida native participated in most of the traditional drills and measurements at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. Considered a solid first-round prospect after a Senior Bowl week performance for the ages, Mitchell had a chance to solidify his resume with a good performance in Indianapolis.

Of course, the limelight is something Mitchell is quite used to going back to his time in the Glass City.

Mitchell was a key cog in the Rockets’ success in back-to-back MAC championships, finishing his career with back-to-back appearances on the first-team all-MAC roster from the corner spot. Mitchell was also named to all five All-American rosters (Associated Press, FWAA, The Athletic, USA Today, Walter Camp) between 2022 and 2023, becoming the first Rocket to ever achieve that distinction, joining Mel Long Sr. (1970-71) as the only Rockets to get All-American votes in back-to-back seasons.

The accolades were well-earned; Mitchell finished his career in blue and gold with 122 tackles, 6.5 tackles-for-loss, six interceptions and a program-record 46 pass break-ups. 2022 was his breakout season, with 41 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, five interceptions and an astounding 25 pass break-ups, but 2023 was also respectable enough with 15 pass break-ups and 40 tackles to earn a semifinalist nod for the Bednarik Award.

His combination of speed and ball skills has proven to be attractive to pro scouts, and after Thursday’s performance, it’s easy to see why.

---

Official Combine measurements:

• Height: six-feet
• Weight: 195 lbs.
• Hands: 9 and one-quarter inches
• Arms: 31 inches

Official Combine workout numbers:

• 40-yard dash: 4.33 seconds (2nd in position group)
• 10-yard dash: 1.51 seconds (t-9th)
• Vertical jump: 38 inches (t-12th)
• Broad jump: 10 feet, two inches (t-21st)
• Three-cone drill: Unavailable
• Shuttle drill: Unavailable
• Bench press: 20 (1st)

---

What did we see?

Mitchell had what could be considered a “checkmark” day, more or less confirming what we already knew about him as a prospect going into this weekend. His size is indicative of a true outside corner, drawing comparisons to Marshon Lattimore and Darius Slay in terms of build and playstyle.

His 40-yard dash was going to be a major decider of his draft range, and he aced the test, coming to the line with 4.33 40-yard dash and a 1.51 10-yard dash. Mitchell also hit a high mark of 23.67 MPH during his 40-yard dash, a number comparable with many of the wide receivers who participated in Saturday’s workouts. (Mitchell’s 40-yard dash would have placed second amongst the receivers behind Xavier Worthy and in front of Adoni Mitchell.)

Mitchell’s body control in game motion is excellent; he has a great feel for how to carry speed and maintain leverage when moving. This was especially evident in the 90-degree backpedal drill, where he snapped into position with little wasted movement and anticipated the ball in front of him to make the play. He showed similar knack in the box drill and 45-degree backpedal drill, placing his feet down and turning hips with authority before gearing down to catch the ball at the high point without losing that sense of speed.

The “Teryl Austin” drill was perhaps his best individual drill of the afternoon. In the Teryl Austin drill, the player must start moving in one direction, then quickly turn and find the ball going to the other side of the field. It is a drill which requires anticipation and recovery speed and generally shows how well a defensive back can move laterally in space under pressure.

Mitchell was smooth and concerted throughout, losing minimum speed when taking in new input and managing to recover so quickly, he was able to time his jump to catch the ball with a spinning flourish.

His ball skills also showed up in the gauntlet drill, catching all seven passes with minimal issues while keeping up his straight-line speed parallel to the yard marker.

Mitchell wasn’t without mistakes; his most notable knock of the day was in the “W” drill, where he slipped while backpedaling to finish the drill and couldn’t make the catch on the ball despite getting his hands on it. That wasn’t for a lack of effort; Mitchell was able to recover from the slip so quickly with sheer speed, he managed to get into position to make a play anyways, even if he ultimately didn’t deliver the goods.

Mitchell also failed to catch the ball at the end of the line drill, but his movements were otherwise good, so it wasn’t the end of the world there.

Mitchell was trusted to be a true island corner in Toledo’s 4-2-5 defense, and can play both pass and run effectively. Prospective teams at the next level won’t have to worry about taking him off the field on obvious passing downs; his 20 reps on the bench and his game tape show a sure, strong tackler who could play all four downs if necessary. At the pro level, Mitchell will likely be an excellent fit for a team who does a lot of off-man coverage. He’d also be an good fit in zone schemes, as the best aspect of his game is at the catch point, where he can use his physicality and speed to find his assignment and contest— or intercept— the ball.

If there were any questions about Mitchell’s position in the draft board or if he is deserving of being one of the top defensive prospects, they were fairly answered on Friday. Most mock drafts will likely place Mitchell in the top half of the first round as his 4.3 40-yard dash confirmed his game tape, while his strength and skill drills prove he’s capable of shouldering an NFL starting load from Day 1 of training camp.