Rams 2022 Draft Prospect Profile: Max Mitchell (T, Louisiana)

[theramswire.usatoday.com] Rams 2022 Draft Prospect Profile: Max Mitchell (T, Louisiana)


Skyler Carlin
April 7, 2022 4:00 am PT

It has been a bittersweet offseason for the Los Angeles Rams thus far. While the organization secured its first Super Bowl since 1999, Andrew Whitworth retired, Robert Woods was traded, and Johhny Hekker was released.

With Whitworth retiring, Los Angeles didn’t waste any time re-signing Joseph Noteboom, who is expected to be the team’s long-term left tackle. But with Noteboom entering the starting lineup, the Rams could use an offensive tackle in the 2022 NFL draft that could operate as a swing tackle.

After taking a look at six interior offensive linemen that Los Angeles could target in the draft, I’ll be discussing a handful of offensive tackles the Rams could have on their radar. The first offensive tackle we’ll be looking at is Max Mitchell out of Louisiana.

Background
Over the course of his collegiate career at Louisiana, Mitchell started or played in 40-plus games, including 14 starts in his sophomore season. Mitchell spent time at both tackle spots, making him a prospect that should drum up plenty of interest in the draft.

In his final season at Louisiana, Mitchell allowed only 13 total pressures on 859 offensive snaps at right tackle, according to Pro Football Focus. Thanks to his outstanding performance in 2021, Pro Football Focus labeled him as their highest-graded tackle in the nation.

Despite running a 5.32 40-yard dash (17th among OT), an 8.09 three-cone (11th among OT), and a 4.65 20-yard shuttle (tied for 6th among OT), Mitchell flashed plenty of athleticism for his size in college.


How he fits the Rams
Before the Rams inked Noteboom to a new contract this offseason, they viewed him as an invaluable piece to their offensive line. Noteboom was able to play multiple positions in the trenches and Los Angeles could elect to target another tackle to fill Noteboom’s previous role.

Mitchell is an athletic tackle that moves very well laterally, allowing him to stay in front of pass rushers. When he was asked to get out in space and make blocks, Mitchell was able to deal punishment to defenders, which would come in handy in Sean McVay’s zone-running scheme.

At the next level, Mitchell will need to improve his upper-body strength if he wants to reach his full potential. Getting a chance to work with Noteboom and Rob Havenstein could do wonders for Mitchell in the NFL.


Draft projection
With millions of mock drafts being plastered all over the internet, Mitchell appears to be going somewhere in the third-round range. I’ve seen mock drafts where he’s gone in the latter part of the second round, but it seems more likely he goes in the third round.

Provided that, if the Rams want to select Mitchell in this year’s draft, they’ll likely need to take him with their first pick of the draft at No. 104. There’s also the possibility that Los Angeles trades up if they are really intrigued by the idea of adding Mitchell to their offensive line unit.

Even though Mitchell didn’t play at a power-five program or face elite opponents every week, whatever team chooses to select him is getting a tackle with plenty of potential in the NFL.