Finding Broncos: Max Mitchell | OT | Louisiana

Finding Broncos scouts the 2022 NFL Draft with a falling offensive tackle.

Measurements

• Height: 6-foot-6
• Weight: 307 pounds
• Arms: 33-1/2 inches
• Hands: 10-1/4 inches

Combine Results

• 40 Yard Dash: 5.32 seconds
• Broad Jump: 106 inches
• 3 Cone Drill: 8.09 seconds
• 20 Yard Shuttle: 4.65 seconds

Pros

• A smooth mover despite the testing results at the combine, capable of getting to the second level with ease
• Latches on quickly with a solid punch and incredibly high-quality hand placement
• Turns defenders easily with good leverage.
• Footwork as a pass protector is good enough to work at the next level, and he has multiple refined pass protection footwork sets to work with
• Incredible mirror ability in one on one pass rush situations
• Higher football IQ and understands his landmarks in the running game, getting to them on time with his head on a swivel
• Played at both tackle positions in college at a relatively high level

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Cons

• Functional strength appears to be a significant issue at times
• Can get out in front of his skates, causing balance issues in both pass pro and run blocking
• Questions about him playing at a smaller school (Louisiana) are founded as he struggled against high competition at the Senior Bowl
• Not a bully mentality player that finishes blocks with power, but rather an effort blocker that struggles with stronger players at the point of attack
• Primarily best suited as a right tackle only at the next level

Overview

Max Mitchell was a fun study because you can see the tools and movement skills flooding his tape, but the raw testing numbers lead to concern about the competition he faced at the college level. Mitchell is a smooth-footed player who can consistently extend to the next level with ease and land on defensive backfield players. In the running game, power will not be his strong suit as he struggles to create a consistent forward push in one-on-one situations. His length is acceptable, and he can extend his arms at times, but the way he wins is primarily with an up and under move where he twists and turns the defender away from the gap that the run is heading towards. When he gets out in front in a zone play, Mitchell flourishes due to his higher football IQ and ability to hit his landmarks within the structure of the play.

In pass protection, there are times when his feet can get a little too choppy, which allows stronger defenders to push him back to the quarterback. He has the requisite athleticism to handle speed rushers off the arc, but inside counter moves such as rip-swipe and spin moves can sometimes get across his face due to his choppy feet. His initial punch is accurate, timed well, and does well enough to change the angle of the defender, but at times he doesn’t extend his hands and control the defender.

Widely lauded for his toughness, leadership, and determination to get better with every rep, Mitchell could hit the ground running as a potential future starter in a zone-blocking scheme that doesn’t task him with mauling defenders in one on one scenarios. 

Fit with Broncos

With a significant need to find a right tackle of the future and moving into a new wide zone running scheme under Nathaniel Hackett, Mitchell is truly a prototypical fit for this offense based on the tape he put out at Louisiana. With a mobile quarterback in Russell Wilson that can help but also hinder an offensive tackle in pass protection, having a guy with high-quality technical refinement and movement skills in that aspect is an absolute necessity.

While there are strength concerns aplenty, getting Mitchell into space to attack smaller defenders at the second level is the best fit for his skill set. You can build strength in the weight room, but finding a technical player of Mitchell’s skill set is going to be harder to find where the Broncos will be picking in this year’s draft.

With Calvin Anderson being retained, Mitchell would likely have to compete for a starting job in year one, but if the Broncos genuinely want to find a player with long-term starter potential, Mitchell could be a selection as early as their no. 75 selection.

Grade: Round 3/Round 4

Where he Goes: Top-100

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