Quinyon Mitchell became the first Toledo Rocket to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft in 31 years when the Philadelphia Eagles chose him with the 22nd overall pick of the 2024 draft in Detroit on Thursday.
The only other Rocket to be chosen in the first round was defensive lineman Dan Williams, who was taken with the No. 11 pick by Denver in 1993.
Quinyon Mitchell poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell following his selection as the 22nd player chosen in the 2024 NFL Draft. Mitchell is the first Rocket to be taken in the first round of the draft in 31 years. Photo by Kate Barnhart.
Mitchell, a cornerback, is now the 10th Rocket to be drafted under Head Coach Jason Candle since 2017, the most in the Mid-American Conference. He is also the third Rocket cornerback to be selected since 2019, following Kadar Hollman (2019, sixth round by Green Bay) and Samuel Womack (2022, fifth round by San Francisco).
Mitchell is also the 18th player from the Mid-American Conference to be chosen in the first round and the highest MAC pick since 2017 when Western Michigan’s Corey Davis was taken as the fifth pick overall by Tennessee. He tied the record for the highest pick ever for a MAC cornerback, matching Eastern Michigan’s Ron Johnson (No. 22 selection by Pittsburgh in 1978).
In 2023, Mitchell was named second-team All-America by the Associated Press, FWAA, Sporting News and AFCA. He made Walter Camp second-team All-America in 2022, which makes him the only Rocket ever to be named to all five major All-America teams in his career. He is Toledo’s second player ever to be named to a major All-America team in multiple years, the other being defensive lineman Mel Long, Sr. in 1970-71.
A two-time first-team All-MAC pick, Mitchell led the nation with 20 pass breakups in 2022 and was second nationally with 18 last season. He is the first Rocket ever to be named a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation’s top defensive player.
Over his Toledo career, the Williston, Florida, native totaled 122 tackles with 6.5 TFLs, defended 52 passes, came up with six interceptions and added a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He also scored on two pick-sixes in the 2022 season, two of his four interceptions in a 52-32 victory at Northern Illinois in 2022.
In an interview with ESPN’s Kaylee Hartung following his selection, Mitchell thanked The University of Toledo for helping him reach his goals.
“They gave me a lot of loyalty, a lot of love,” Mitchell said. “Coming out of high school, I had some grade issues and they just stuck with me throughout the whole process. I just give my thanks to them and give my thanks to God.”
