RB Keaton Mitchell: NFL Draft scouting report

The Baltimore Ravens are signing Mitchell as a UDFA. He will join JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards in the backfield and has a good shot at making the 53-man roster.

East Carolina Pirates running back Keaton Mitchell ran wild over his last couple of seasons before declaring early for the NFL Draft. He will look for his huge numbers in college to translate into NFL production as he gets his pro career started.

Mitchell ran for 1,452 yards on 201 rushing attempts (7.2 yards per carry) with 14 touchdowns. He caught 27 passes for 252 yards with another score.

Keaton Mitchell: Scouting Report

Mitchell is small for the running back position in the NFL at just 5-foot-8 and 179 pounds, but his speed will intrigue NFL teams. He possesses excellent burst where he can accelerate to top speed quickly, which will be his biggest asset at the next level. He can be a home run threat in the NFL with any touch potentially going to the house.

Mitchell’s list of cons starts with his small stature, which makes it tough to finish runs and fall forward. If he gets to the edge, he can go all the way, but Mitchell breaking tackles on runs up the middle could become an issue, and pass blocking could become an issue if he’s put in certain situations.

Mock Draft landing spots

CBS’ Ryan Palmer has Mitchell landing with the Tennessee Titans in the fifth round, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler sees him with the Browns in the sixth, and NFL.com has him going to the Packers in the seventh round.

Fantasy football implications

Any player with the speed of Mitchell should be at least looked at from a fantasy football perspective, but we’ll have to see it before trusting him in any format. It’s unlikely he will see a huge workload right out of the gate, but his athleticism is so intriguing, so keep an eye on where he lands on the depth chart as a rookie.

The Packers are projected by most draft mockers to grab a later-round running back, but it’s hard to predict right now where they would fit into the depth chart, especially with the QB question up in the air. He would work behind a Derrick Henry-centric offense with the Titans, which would certainly put a low ceiling on his fantasy potential. He could find a place working behind Nick Chubb with the Browns.

Later-round running backs don’t often make a huge splash right off the bat, but there are always exceptions to the rule. Mitchell could certainly carve out a spot in Cleveland or Green Bay, but he may have a low fantasy ceiling for his first year in the league.