Quinyon Mitchell among two best bets for NFL draft’s cornerback market

With the 2024 NFL Draft less than a week away, that means it’s time to lock in some plays.

One overlooked position group offers value in the first round Thursday night. Let’s take a look at some of the best bets regarding the cornerback market.

First cornerback selection odds

Why Toledo’s Kunyon Mitchell is our choice

In the transfer portal/NIL era of college football, it’s becoming increasingly rare for a top prospect to come from a Group 5 school, but Quinyon Mitchell is something of a unicorn in this regard.

Not only did he dominate the MAC for the majority of his four-year career, but he also tested better than any player in this entire draft class at the combine.

This makes it a big bet that he will likely be the first corner to come off the board midway through the first round.

Let’s start with his statistical performance in the Glass City. There he set a school record for pass breakups with 46.

Last fall, he broke through 1.46 passes per game, ranking second nationally. On the surface, this is an impressive accomplishment, but what makes his disruptive play in the secondary even more remarkable is that he has only committed one penalty in the past. two season.

That speaks to his technique, ball skills, and athleticism.

When it comes to his athleticism, his RAS (Relative Athletic Score) numbers are off the charts.

At 6 feet tall and weighing 195 pounds, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.33 seconds and recorded a vertical distance of 38 inches at the combine. His RAS was his 9.75 (out of 10), dispelling any concerns that he would not be competitive when making the jump from MAC competition to the NFL.

His performance at the Senior Bowl, especially his practice sessions, confirmed to scouts that he could handle the physicality of a Power Five receiver.

The only downside for Mitchell was that he often played outside of coverage in Toledo, but in Mobile he thrived in man-to-man play, proving that it could potentially allow him to further elevate his game at the pro level. did.

Pro Football Focus has given him a grade of 91.5 or higher (out of 100) over the past two seasons, making him the first Rocket since 1971 to be named an All-American in consecutive seasons.

According to the NFL Mock Draft Database, which has more than 1,100 mocks, he is out of the roster by the 15th pick on average and is tied to Indianapolis in most cases.

Alabama’s Terrion Arnold remains the only real threat you hear first in this group of corners, but his speed numbers (8.37 RAS) hinder his chances of eventually leapfrogging Mitchell. There is.

I think Mitchell will be drafted in the top half of the first round, but the best bet is to take him as the starting cornerback.

His draft position is No. 15.5 on the market, but the under (-160) is a big hit.

A sharper play would be to grab him in the -125 to -150 range and be selected as the first corner.

Eagles first player draft odds position

Why the Eagles select cornerback first

This is the perfect intersection of needs and “best player available”.

Considering the Eagles’ first-round draft position (No. 22), Clemson’s Nate Wiggins, Alabama’s Kool-Aid McKinstry, and Iowa’s Cooper DeJean are likely to remain as potential picks.

The Birds were terrible against the pass last year, finishing 28th in both EPA per dropback and PFF team coverage grade while allowing opposing quarterbacks to achieve a 97.6 QBR (29th).

Do you want to bet on the NFL?

Not only could they use a talent upgrade at corner, but their entrenched starters are both in their 30s (Darius Slay Jr., James Bradberry), which is borderline by NFL standards.

More than 50% of current mock drafts connect the Eagles with a cornerback in the first round, making this pairing a value proposition with positive returns.

I’ll play this to +110.