Cleveland Browns Comprehensive NFL Draft Review: Cameron Mitchell, CB Northwestern

The Cleveland Browns selected Cameron Mitchell, a corner out of Northwestern in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Mitchell boasts one of the strongest draft profiles among the Browns selections.

The Cleveland Browns used their second fifth round pick to select Cameron Mitchell, a corner out of Northwestern. Mitchell joins his former teammate and fellow corner Greg Newsome II with the Browns.

In two seasons as a starter, Mitchell racked up 77 solo tackles and broke up 13 passes. He yielded two touchdown receptions on 105 targets according to PFF.

Athletic Profile

Mitchell's height nor length is ideal, but they aren't problematic. His weight is good. His explosion is mediocre in part because his vertical is average and he never tested the broad jump. His speed is fine, but what really pops is his flexibility and agility. Not only did he perform those drills well, but he did them even heavier, at 197 pounds.

Not turning 22 until the season starts is also helpful. Additional strength would help him to improve his lower body explosion, but everything else is in great shape.

Jim Cobern @Jimetrics

Production

2022 (Best Season)

Solo Tackles: 38 (7.3%)

Pass Break Ups: 7 (24.1%)

Mitchell has two seasons of excellent production. He makes plays on the ball and puts ball carriers on the ground.

As was the case with Newsome, Mitchell doesn't have much in terms of interception; just one in the last two seasons and two for his career. Northwestern's defense plays a ton of man coverage and they emphasize eye discipline staying on the man, which limits the opportunities to create turnovers. While interceptions are great, they aren't integral to becoming successful in the NFL.

Jim Cobern @Jimetrics

Northwestern's schedule was pretty competitive. They avoided Ohio State in 2021 and Michigan in 2022. Their out of conference slate wasn't the source of relief they would have hoped. They suffered a pair of losses to Duke as well as losing to Southern Illinois and Miami(OH) this past year.

Jim Cobern @Jimetrics

Game Tape

Mitchell's a competitive cover corner. He's best when he play tight man coverage and can simply run with the opponent. With fluid hips and good feet, he's able to mirror pretty effectively and stay close enough to compete at the catch point. Mitchell's eye discipline is generally good and rarely gets fooled. When plays get extended, he can lose his man on occasion.

Mitchell can press and get hands on, occasionally able to control the defender, but is far more experienced playing tight and simply mirroring the opponent.

Mitchell really shines on in breaking and crossing routes, going with the opponent and stabbing the ball out when his receiver is the target. He is also effective when opponents try to go deeper on him, able to get himself in position and compete for the ball without drawing flags. In two seasons, he was flagged a total of six times.

In off man coverage, Mitchell can come down hill and make plays on the ball, but often plays it safe, allowing opponents to get yardage on hitches and comebacks. He's not getting safety help, so he is the last line of defense, but there are times when it's simply too easy for the opponent to pick up yardage and extend drives.

Though Northwestern most often plays man or match coverage, they do employ some zone looks. Most often, Mitchell is utilizing a drop shuffle technique with his back to the sideline dropping back. He seems far more comfortable in man, but this may simply come down to reps.

Mitchell can be a good tackler. When he employs proper technique, the results are excellent. Especially coming down hill, he is aggressive, wraps up and tackles with force. He will sometimes leave his feet, but gets the job done. Particularly when he blitzes, that's the effort he brings and made a handful of impact tackles.

When Mitchell doesn't use his technique, he's not wrapping up, instead throwing a shoulder at opponents and diving at them. It often resulted in a higher missed tackle percentage.

Mitchell doesn't shed blocks. Once an opponent gets hands on, he's done. At that point, the best he can hope for is simply forcing the ball carrier back to his help. He occasionally tries to evade the block and often makes the situation worse, creating a lane in the process for the opposing ball carrier.

© Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Fit, Usage and Projection

Even though Mitchell played outside corner almost exclusively at Northwestern, both his athletic profile and his playstyle suggest he could be a good fit in the slot. Most of his experience inside has been as the nub corner against tight ends. It's a good bet the Browns will cross train him if they don't give him the bulk of his reps in the slot.

With the competition in the corner room, which currently includes Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome, Martin Emerson Jr. and A.J. Green who all played a ton of snaps last year, it won't be easy for Mitchell to find reps, but his path to the field is faster inside, potentially in dime packages.

Cameron Mitchell can Play "Anywhere in the Secondary" According to Northwestern Teammates

The good news for Mitchell is the Browns plan to employ a ton of Cover-1 and Cover-3, which would allow Mitchell to play a ton of man coverage. His extensive experience is a major reason the Browns picked him.

The other reason the Browns added Mitchell was the vast amount of reps he's amassed on special teams. This past season, most of those reps came on kick coverage, punt return and field goal block, but he's done it all. It's reasonable to assume that special teams coach Bubba Ventrone was just as excited about the selection as defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.

Mitchell's draft profile has him finish just below a multiple Pro Bowl player. His production is outstanding and he's athletic enough to be a productive player for a long time in the NFL. Whether he can reach that level is fair to question, but makes a ton of sense for what the Browns want at the position and where they selected him.