The Patriots got a much-needed boost at wide receiver in the fourth round of the draft, selecting Malcolm Mitchell out of Georgia.
Mitchell is the latest Patriot to have a remarkable story, learning to read later in life and now sharing his joy for reading with elementary school students through a book he wrote. So yes, off the field Mitchell is already giving back and will fit right in with how much service the Patriots do for the communities around Boston.
On the field Mitchell fits the X-receiver role that Brandon LaFell had occupied the last two seasons. Mitchell is a strong player, and though not a speed burner, has excellent hands and a good amount of experience running the outside routes LaFell ran for the Pats.
Drops are not an issue, he ran a varied route tree and forced 13 missed tackles with the ball in his hands. Part of his limited numbers were Georgia’s run-first approach. Now he goes to the best quarterback in the league and has a chance to see immediate snaps.
Mitchell was once regarded as a top-10 prospect after some impressive work early in his career. That 2012 knee injury really stalled his college career though, and leaves us with a limited amount of work to look at when trying to find out how good he can be at the next level. Ultimately that will push him down the draft board, and might lead to the team that drafts him getting a huge steal.
