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Football's Future
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Lance Mitchell ILB Oklahoma 6’3 244
Lance Mitchell originally signed with Florida out of high school, but could not meet the SEC entrance requirements. He started his college career at San Francisco City College and became a junior college all American before signing with Oklahoma. He made an immediate impact as a junior at OU, finishing the year with 124 tackles, 19 for loss, and 3 sacks. He was named Big 12 newcomer of the year, and named to various All-American lists for his success on the field. In 2003, he suffered a torn ACL in the 3rd game of the year and missed the rest of the season. He came back on the field in 2004, and had another solid season, finishing with 78 tackles, 10 for loss, and 2 sacks.
It’s hard to imagine a better middle linebacker than Mitchell. He has a thick build, is a good athlete, has great lateral range, and the closing speed to finish off the play. He can sift through traffic and stuff the run up the middle, and when he hits you, you remember it. He has very good instincts and makes plays all over the field.
Without the knee injury, Mitchell was a safe bet to be a first rounder. He will have a chance to show in workouts that he has fully regained the lateral range and speed, and if he does, Mitchell could rate as a borderline first rounder. His play as a senior after the injury still merits a Day 1 selection, and if he gets back to full strength, you may have an all pro on your hands. I expect Mitchell to hear his name called in the second round, and he may end up being a steal at that point.
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