Malcolm Mitchell
Bill’s Horrible History
In the Bill Belichick era, drafting and developing wide receivers has been as much of a struggle as the Cleveland Browns finding a quarterback!! Don’t believe me? Well, listen to these names: Chad Jackson, Bethel Johnson, Taylor Price, Brandon Tate, Aaron Dobson, Josh Boyce and Kenbrell Thompkins. All of these players were complete busts for the Patriots. Bill is a Hall of Fame coach, but he has shown the inability to get quality production from his rookie receivers. He does a good job signing free agent receivers, but the train stops there!!! We have seen this story before with Dobson, who had the most productive rookie season in the BB era. Who is the newest rookie to try and bump the trend?
Who is this guy?
In the 4th round of the 2016 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots drafted Malcolm Mitchell out of the University of Georgia. The 5’11 200-pound receiver was viewed as a project pick. Many believed he would not be called upon much, if at all this season with the likes of Bennett, Gronk, Edelman, Amendola, Dobson, and Hogan in town. His only avenue into the rotation would be to unseat the struggling Aaron Dobson. During the off-season, both competitors battled to stay healthy and show the team what they brought to the offense. In the end, Mitchell beat out Dobson for the final wide receiver spot on the active roster. After winning the spot, he faced an uphill battle for snaps with the veterans in front of him and a changing QB situation the first four weeks of the season. The rookie wideout struggled to see the field and looked like a rookie at times while out there. What makes him different from the other wideouts?
The only other receiver with those capabilities is Chris Hogan. Malcolm has strong hands and does a good job catching the ball away from his body. Unlike his former rookie receiver counterparts, he is catching the passes thrown to him from Brady. He has big hands for a receiver; Brady said, “His hands are almost as big as Gronk’s.” Can he capitalize on his skill set?
Heating UP?
As the receiving core took a hit due to injuries, Mitchell’s snap count increased as well as his production. The last two games the former Georgia Bulldog recorded 9-receptions 140-yards and 3-tds!! He has gained the trust of Tom Terrific and displayed his big play ability. Against the San Francisco 49ers, Mitchell had 4-catches for 98-yards with a 56-yard catch and run score. He displayed good awareness to secure the pass in traffic before turning up-field to showcase his speed.
His next outing against the New York Jets, he finished with 5-catches 42-yards and 2-scores, including the game-winner.(See above) Tom Brady shows his trust in players by targeting them, and by my count the rookie was targeted eight times total. Can he keep up this production?
Help comes to those…
In the game versus the Jets last week, Rob Gronkowski left the game with an apparent back injury. He was recently placed on injury reserved and is out for the remainder of the season. How does this effect Malcolm Mitchell? Well, his snap count increased with Gronk missing the Niners game and leaving the Jets game. Now with Gronk out for the season, Mitchell’s arrow is trending upward in the offense. I believe he has a great chance to have a better statistical season than Dobson as a rookie. Keep your eyes on the Bulldog because he is destined to make a mark!!!
Damian Parson is an Analyst for Couch Rider Report. Follow him on Facebook and Follow/Like us on Facebook or twitter.