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Bengals to work out sleeper safety prospect

AP Photo/Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis puts on his jacket following a news conference at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Friday, Feb. 20, 2009.

Blog: Big C: Bengals searching for Day 2 gems

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By Carlos “Big C” Holmes, Staff Writer Updated 4:10 PM Monday, April 13, 2009

Ohio University cornerback Mark Parson may have been the one hand-picked by future Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders to come train with him at Prime U, a pre-NFL combine camp, but teammate safety Michael Mitchell is proving to be the crown jewel of the Bobcats' secondary.

The Cincinnati Bengals are among several teams wanting to get a closer look at the hard-hitting strong safety before draft day.

Mitchell will have a private workout with the Bengals on April 14 and on the same day will fly to Cleveland to visit the Browns. A day later he'll travel to Oakland to meet with the Raiders. Mitchell has met with at least four other teams since his Pro Day March 12.

The 6-foot-1, 221-pound Mitchell opened some eyes when he ripped it up at the school's pro day. He ran a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash and knocked out 22 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. He posted a 37.5-inch vertical and recorded a 10-foot-3 inch broad jump.

Mitchell was unable to perform the shuttle runs or do positional drills due to a pulled hamstring which he sustained during his first 40 run. The 10 teams in attendance apparently liked what they saw but want to see more.

That's where Ignition Athletics Performance Group in Mason, Ohio comes into play.

Mitchell appears to be another one of those prospects like UC's Connor Barwin who is training at Ignition and storming up team's draft boards. It must be something in the water there in Mason.

Clif Marshall, Performance Director at Ignition, has been working with the safety on position drills preparing him for his workouts with NFL teams.

"Michael is one of the most impressive guys that we've had here in our program," Marshall said. "When he comes into work his demeanor is all business. He attacks all his workouts and drills. The hamstring is good. He is committed to rehabbing hours each day and is a tough guy who will be ready for his workouts.

"Michael's combination of size, speed and ability on the field is what makes him an intriguing prospect. He's not one of these guys who will just test well. You have four years of film to watch him in action. I believe that's what makes him so attractive to teams."

Big C's scouting report

Mitchell is extremely physical and packs a wallop when delivering the blow. He's a sure-tackler, wraps up well, outstanding playing inside the box, can play deep middle or in zone coverage. He is fluid in his back pedal, smooth in transition and shows good overall technique.

Mitchell has very good ball skills and speed to play anywhere in the secondary. He has the ability to cover slot receivers and tight ends displaying exceptional cover skills. He's an opportunistic defender leading the team with three interceptions in addition to five pass breakups and two forced fumbles last season. He was also an impact player on special teams.

Mitchell is an explosive player with a linebacker's mentality, good study habits, highly intelligent and vocal leader.

According Bobcat defensive coordinator/safeties Coach Jimmy Burrow, Mitchell improved in all areas of his weaknesses throughout his four year career at Ohio. The coach describes Mitchell as being in the same mode of longtime NFL safety John Lynch with his playing style.

Improving stock

Once considered an undrafted free agent by NFL scouts, Mitchell's draft stock is on the rise and now has a legitimate shot of hearing his name called on Day 2 of the draft. I had one scout tell me that Mitchell could be a guy like Indianapolis Colts safety Antoine Bethea, who was a little-known safety out of Howard University, but was selected in the sixth round by the Colts in 2006. Bethea was an impact player as a rookie for Indy. The Colts are among the teams showing interest in the safety.

Although Mitchell wasn't invited to the Combine, he is being looked at heavily by teams as we approach draft day. Mitchell has earned the label as the best kept secret safety prospect entering the draft.

Carlos "Big C" Holmes covers the NFL for the Dayton Daily News.

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Bob, they may have changed it to 'fluid' but "fluent in his back pedal" makes more sense unless you're talking about a car pedal. Fluent means adept, without a stumble in this situation (just like speaking a language fluently). Perhaps you need an editor too, Bob. I hope the editors left on staff at the DDN realise that Bob was wrong and changing it to appeal to his misunderstanding of the English language was a mistake.

Michael
1:56 AM, 4/28/2009

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Nice story. This is about the only info. on the net about Mitchell.

I am now doing a story on Mike Mitchell. Can i have the phone number to Ignition Athletic Performance Group in Mason, Ohio so I could speak directly to Director Clif Marshall?

Anything you can do would be appreciated.

Jeffrey David Glatzer
3:14 PM, 4/14/2009

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"Fluent in his back pedal"????

Do you mean fluid? Are there any editors left on staff at the DDN?

Bob
1:50 PM, 4/13/2009

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