Name : Elijah Mitchell
School: Louisiana Ragin Cajuns
Size: 5’11″/ 218 Lbs
I Rate all RB’s on a scale of 1-10
- Footwork: 5
- Vision: 5
- Patience: 6
- Elusiveness: 6
- Contact Balance: 5
- Break Tackle Ability (when a defender has a hand on him): 8
- Game Speed: 7
- Burst: 8
- Hands: 7
- Route Running: 8.5
- Run Toughness: 9
I also tally the following:
Snaps: 105
Successful Stiff Arms: 2
Successful Spin Moves: 1
Trucks: 5
Shed Tackles (Mainly Arm Tackles): 23
Evaded Tackles: 14
Pass Block Losses: 1
Pass Block Wins: 8
Fall Forwards: 30
2018: 145 Att./ 977 Yards/ 6.7 YPC/ 13 TDs
2019: 198 Att./ 1,147 Yards/ 5.8 YPC/ 15 TDs
2020: 141 Att./ 878/ 6.2 YPC/ 8 TDs
Career Receiving: 49 Rec./ 572 Yards/ 5 TDs
Summary/Fantasy Upside:
He is a nice-sized back with some game-breaking speed and downhill toughness. If he’s drafted to a team with an underwhelming RB room, I feel he’s a steal at his current rookie draft ADP. He has nice hands and route tree as well. He gets a boost for PPR.
If he lands on a team like Miami or Atlanta I’d say he could be a flex. He’s a target of mine if I went with a modified zero RB strategy in the start-up draft. I’d pick anytime after 2.10 in a super flex league.
NOTES:
Rushing Talent
- Keeps feet pointed at where he’s going at all times pre-contact
- His deceleration is above average but not elite
- Shows the capability of dragging defenders with him
- Has the ability to shed multiple defenders in one play and I do believe that trait will carry over in the NFL
- He has phenomenal speed for his size
- When he sees the crease he explodes through it
- Decent lateral agility
- Very hard to bring down in the second and third levels often taking DBs for a ride
- Gets to full speed just after the second level
- Can lower a nasty shoulder and invites contact
- Keeps his feet moving at all times
- Loses some momentum on contact and some balance- He lifts his leg at times and it slows him down
- If he has to move laterally before he hits the hole he is in trouble
- Can take punishment and bounce off
- It was a reoccurring thing on film that he falls awkwardly
- Sticks his foot in the ground and gets North and South quickly
- He beats up on DBs
- When going north and south he is a master accelerator
- He certainly may struggle to get to the outside in the NFL
- Has enough speed to score from anywhere
- Usually makes the first guy miss
- There will be DBs who can catch up to him, even on breakaways
- He holds the ball the correct way for proper ball security
- Sets up jukes nicely in the open field
- Passionate runner
- He has solid footwork but there’s room for improvement
- Efficient with his movements and doesn’t waste energy or time
- Gets vertical after a cut very quickly and it is a smooth transition
- He has enough burst to beat an unblocked man to the hole
- Possesses a nasty, well-timed stiff arm
- When he knows he’s out of options he makes the defensive player pay for the tackle physically
- Has a very good burst through the hole
- Always finishes runs
- Used to wearing defenses down because they have to cover all of the field and his physicality
- Nice footwork in tight spaces
- Can run a little too tall at times
- Smooth runner in and outside his cuts
- Utilizes a lot of hesitation on interior defensive lineman
- Usually drags a tackler or two with him
- Good momentum manipulation in tight spaces
- Can get the tough yards that no one else wants
- Needs to get skinnier in the hole sometimes
- Sheds 3 tacklers in one play on a 4th and 1 against UAB, in 2020
- Has above-average contact balance
Awareness
- His vision can use some TLC, especially his peripheral vision so he can bounce to the outside more frequently
- Reads blocking leverage correctly
- Vision at the goaline can be concerning. He runs into lineman down there
- He sets up his blocks well on stretch plays, waiting to turn it north and south until the last second
- He dealt with a lot of early penetration in college and I think he will deal with messy NFL backfields well because of it
- He takes what the defense gives him and doesn’t sacrifice yards trying to do too much
- He’s got good attributes for a closer- good ball security and wearing
- Committed to run designs sometimes to a fault
Receiving
- Beats LBs clean in curl/flat option routes out of the backfield
- Gets to flat in a hurry as an outlet
- Reads zone coverages well
- Has quick and dependable hands
- Should be a matchup problem in the NFL
- Can run almost all routes
Blocking
- Was mainly asked to chip block in this offense which he did successfully
- Held his own when he did stay in to block
- It could be a problem in the NFL because you did see him lose ground at times
- Comfortable transitioning from blocking to running the route
- Picks up correct assignment from what I could tell
OVERALL: 73/100
RB Type: Power runner with a receiving threat
Follow more of our awesome content over at https://www.forfantasysakeqc.com
