EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings have added a wide receiver.

Minnesota selected Oregon's Dillon Mitchell with the 239th overall pick.

Mitchell started 25 of 31 career games for the Ducks, totaling 119 catches for 1,710 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also contributed on special teams, returning 21 punts for 125 yards and three kickoffs for 49 yards.

The native of Memphis, Tennessee, had a breakout season as a junior in 2018, racking up 1,184 yards and 10 touchdowns through the air. The yardage total led the Pac 12 and was a school single-season record.

Mitchell was named to the Pac-12 All-Conference Second Team by coaches and the Associated Press and was a three-time Pro Football Focus Pac-12 Team of the Week (Weeks 4, 7, 11). He earned Redbox Bowl Offensive MVP honors.

A four-star recruit coming out of White Station High School, Mitchell opted to commit to Oregon over several other teams, including Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia. 

Player Bio

Mitchell exited the Ducks' program after a second-team All-Pac-12 junior campaign, topping the conference and setting a school record with 1,184 yards while scoring 10 touchdowns on 75 receptions (15.8 average). He led Oregon in receiving as a sophomore, as well, though an injury to quarterback Justin Herbert limited his production (42-517-12.3, four TDs in 12 starts). Mitchell took his redshirt off in 2016 to play in six contests as a reserve receiver (2-9-4.5) and returner (7-26-3.7 punt returns, 3-49-16.3 kickoffs). He was a top-100 prospect nationally after winning Tennessee's Gatorade Player of the Year award as a senior (62-1,143 receiving, 31 total TDs) at White Station High School in Memphis. Mitchell was also an excellent guard in high school basketball (mentored by former Memphis and NBA star Penny Hardaway) but chose the gridiron over the hardwood.

Overview

Early entry receiver hoping to ride the wave of a heavily-targeted, highly productive junior campaign. Mitchell isn't big, has average speed and loses focus as a pass catcher, but his ball skills show up on tape and he's a natural talent with the ball in his hands. While his routes are undisciplined at this time, they should get much better with coaching. Mitchell has talent but needs to put the time in and take the coaching in order to become more than a WR4/WR5.

Strengths

• Has experience outside and from slot
• Put together a rock-solid performance against Washington
• Doesn't shrink from route contact despite his thin frame
• Good early burst to uncover on crossing routes
• Average long speed, but rarely gets caught from behind
• Effective ball-tracking and adjusts speed and location to go get it
• Loose hips to slide out of tackle attempts
• Able to bound and elude multiple tacklers after catch
• Instinctive runner with the ball in his hands

Weaknesses

• Good height, but underwhelming build
• Scouts concerned with maturity level and work ethic in weight room
• Can be smothered by long, press cornerbacks
• Routes lack discipline and focus
• Intermediate routes are too upright and lack vertical push
• Can eliminate additional steps into breaks and play with suddenness
• Needs to play faster more consistently
• Too many focus drops when uncontested
• Non-factor as a blocker

Sources Tell Us

"It's not a secret over there. He doesn't put the time in for his hands or in the weight room; he doesn't always take the coaching. He has some talent, but he has to grow up and take this serious." - NFC west coast scout