Walter football (Detroit Lions: James Mitchell, TE, Virginia Tech - A- Grade
The Lions are concerned about not being able to retain T.J. Hockenson past the 2022 season, so this pick makes sense from that regard. It's also a solid value choice, as James Mitchell could've gone in the fourth round with no complaints.): https://walterfootball.com/nfldraftgrades5.php
Pride of Detroit (Grade: B+): https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2022/4/30/23050891/nfl-draft-grades-detroit-lions-malcolm-rodriguez-6th-round-pick
PFN (Round 5, Pick 177: James Mitchell, TE, Virginia Tech - At some point, the Lions were going to target a tight end to file in behind T.J. Hockenson. Brock Wright is a decent depth piece but nothing more. A quality TE2 is still on the list for Detroit, and there’s a chance they got that with James Mitchell. There’s a bit of uncertainty with Mitchell, who played just two games in 2021 before suffering a season-ending knee injury. But Mitchell has good size at 6’4”, 248 pounds, with 33” arms. He’s a smooth athlete in space with good zone awareness, and he has some lead-blocking ability with his mobility and play strength. Grade: B): https://www.profootballnetwork.com/detroit-lions-nfl-draft-grades-2022-aidan-hutchinson-stays-in-detroit/
CBS (177. Lions: James Mitchell, TE, Virginia Tech - Grade: C+. Flashed early in his college career as useful, three-down H-back but injuries derailed his 2021. Good athleticism and catch radius. Decent after the catch too. Was still injured during pre-draft process.): https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2022-nfl-draft-grades-tracker-analysis-for-every-fifth-round-selection-from-sam-howell-to-kingsley-enagbare/
Analysis:
NFL.com (James Mitchell: T.J. Hockenson missed almost a third of last season due to injury, and there is poor depth behind him. Mitchell has the pass-catching ability and athleticism to see significant playing time early in an H-back role.): https://www.nfl.com/news/2022-nfl-draft-pick-by-pick-analysis-for-day-3-rounds-4-5
ESPN Woodyard (Round 5, No. 177 overall: James Mitchell, TE, Virginia Tech
My take: T.J. Hockenson is clearly the Lions’ marquee tight end and one of the best offensive players on the roster, but Detroit has added depth to the position with Mitchell. He is coming off an injury to the ACL in his right knee, and he only played two games in 2021. But he expects to be fully cleared by training camp.): https://www.espn.com/blog/detroit-lions/post/_/id/38504/detroit-lions-nfl-draft-picks-2022-analysis-for-every-selection
ESPN (Pre-Draft Analysis: Mitchell is an effective route runner with good quickness off the line and out of breaks. He shows good body control and hand-eye coordination adjusting to throws outside of his frame. He runs well and tracks the deep ball well. He's a willing and aggressive blocker, but he has a leaner frame and lacks snap in his hands. Mitchell missed most of the 2021 season because of a knee injury. -- Steve Muench): https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft/rounds/_/round/5
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