Tag: Jonathan Mingo

Unpacking Future Packers: No. 48, Ole Miss WR Jonathan Mingo

Up next in the Unpacking Future Packers draft preview series is Ole Miss wide receiver Jonathan Mingo.

The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL draft.

The Jordan Love era is upon us. Love is all around us. Once Aaron Rodgers is traded to the New York Jets, the Green Bay Packers will officially have a new quarterback under center.

After drafting three wide receivers last season, one would expect Brian Gutekunst to focus on adding weapons early and often in the 2023 NFL Draft to help set Love up for success. 

A player that Green Bay’s general manager could target in the upcoming draft is Jonathan Mingo. The Ole Miss wide receiver checks in at No. 48 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.

A four-star recruit, Mingo scored one touchdown during his first season on campus. In 2020, Mingo hauled in 27 passes for 379 yards and three touchdowns. The following season, Mingo played in just six games after suffering a broken foot. In the six games, Mingo caught 22 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns. 

This past season Mingo recorded 51 passes for 861 yards and five touchdowns. The Ole Miss wide receiver also scored one rushing touchdown. 

Mingo set the program record for receiving yards in a game against Vanderbilt. Mingo finished the game with nine receptions for 247 yards and two touchdowns.  

“Mingo was dynamic and really broke out after some promising moments earlier in his career,” Michael Katz, the Ole Miss reporter for the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal said. “He was stuck behind some really talented receivers to start, and in 2021 when it looked like he might be “the guy” he broke his foot. He came back to a completely rebuilt receiving corps in 2022 and shined. There were times when Ole Miss struggled in terms of consistent perimeter playmakers, but he and Malik Heath were really 1A and 1B.”

Mingo has an excellent blend of size (6-2, 220 lbs) strength, and quickness. That combination makes him dangerous in space. If he makes the first defender miss he has the speed to create chunk plays. With his size and strength, he can be a load for defensive backs to take down. According to Pro Football Focus, Mingo finished this past season with 373 yards after the catch.

“I think his ability with this ball in his hands is special,” Katz said. “He’s a really well-put-together player. He absolutely looks the part. There will be occasional lapses in his consistency, but when he’s on, he’s really hard to stop. His size, speed, and playmaking are pretty electric.”

Mingo has large, strong hands. He stays focused in traffic and finished this past season with 17 contested catches. He’s a smooth accelerator and a big-play threat. He’s a detailed route runner. The Ole Miss wide receiver tracks the ball well downfield. 

He’s a contested catch connoisseur. He’s physical and outmuscles defensive backs at the catch point. However, it’s concerning that he had so many contested catches. A big reason for that is he doesn’t burst in and out of his breaks. 

With his size and strength, Mingo’s ability as a blocker will get Matt LaFleur’s attention. It’s part of his game that Mingo takes pride in and teams will take notice of that. 

“One of my favorite stories his high school coach told me was, his senior year, he caught a screen and his teammate missed the block,” Katz said. “He came back to the sidelines and told the coach he wanted to block. They ran the same play, to a different guy, and scored because of his blocking. After his career game against Vandy, I don’t think he had more than a catch in the next game. He was in the locker room talking about his blocking anyway, Lane Kiffin told us. He really, really cares. He’s the ultimate team player.”

Fit with the Packers

In Christian Watson, the Packers may have their new No. 1 wide receiver. Watson proved to be an eclectic playmaker during his rookie season.

Romeo Doubs showed promise during his rookie season. Samori Toure, last year’s seventh-round pick, could see an uptick in targets during his second year in the league.

With that trio in place, the Packers have an okay foundation in place. Now, Gutekunst needs to keep adding young talent to that room for Love.

Mingo has the size, quickness, and strength to develop into a big-play threat at the next level. His ability as a blocker on the outside is the cherry on top. 

“I think that combination of size and speed and dynamic playmaking doesn’t come around every day,” Katz said. “And I think more than that, there’s still a lot of untapped potential. As good as he is, he’s still kind of raw. He’s not a finished product, I don’t think, and I think that’s a good thing.”

It could be the Ole Miss jersey. When Mingo has the ball in space there are times that he gives off A.J. Brown vibes. That’s not a direct comparison. It just speaks to how Mingo looks and moves on the football field.

Mingo has a long way to go to become Brown. If he can be half the player that Brown is, one would think that the Packers would be okay with that production. 

[lawrence-related id=90165,91322,91185,91120,91046,90949]

How re-signing WR Ashton Dulin impacts Colts’ draft plans

The re-signing of WR Ashton Dulin gives the Colts some nice depth, but the position should still be a target in the draft.

The Indianapolis Colts have indicated with the release of quarterback Matt Ryan that they are moving on to the future, including evaluating and drafting a rookie quarterback in the 2023 draft.

No one but the team knows who that player will ultimately be, but one thing remains clear: the team must set that player up for success.

Since pairing former Colt T.Y. Hilton with future Hall of Fame receiver Reggie Wayne, the team has been looking for a consistent product from its receiving corps. They drafted several receivers along the way, with standout players in Parris Campbell, Michael Pittman, Jr., and Alec Piece.

However, Campbell may have seen his last days in a Colts uniform. Despite returning from multiple seasons with injuries and producing his best season, the team may be unable to re-sign him. His potential contract is likely on par with upper market value and above what their roster can handle.

With that, it makes sense that the Colts worked to bring back second-team All-Pro special teams contributor and wide receiver Ashton Dulin. The former undrafted free agent landed a two-year deal worth up to $9.2 million.

He’s a versatile player that allows the team to boost its wide receiver depth and serve as special teams gunner on punt coverage.

By allowing Dulin the flexibility to serve in two roles, general manager Chris Ballard can work to find a cheaper option to fill the void Campell would leave if he signs elsewhere. It’s a reasonable assumption to think this option may be available in the draft.

If this is the choice, there are several options, including an intriguing fit in Ole Miss’s Jonathan Mingo. Mingo is a big-bodied receiver who would feast in Jim Bob Cooter’s offense, and Mingo also has experience playing in the slot, Campbell’s specialty.

Regardless of what happens with Campbell’s future with the team, the re-signing of Dulin shouldn’t prevent the Colts from looking at upside prospects in the draft at the wide receiver position.

While decisions loom large, the clock is ticking.

[mm-video type=video id=01gvh3zen2c3m8v9znzr playlist_id=01eqbwdn1cy47y964q player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gvh3zen2c3m8v9znzr/01gvh3zen2c3m8v9znzr-6734a7833038553dcf206954590e4bf1.jpg]

2023 NFL draft: Updated WR rankings post-combine

Here’s a look at Draft Wire’s updated WR rankings following the NFL combine.

The 2023 NFL draft is over one month away, but we’ve gotten through the NFL combine, which means the Indianapolis Colts will begin putting together their big board.

While Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce are expected to back on the outside, the Colts could see both Parris Campbell and Ashton Dulin hit the free-agent market. Even if both Campbell and Dulin return, the Colts should look to add some upside at the position in the draft.

We took a look at the updated rankings at the following positions from Draft Wire:

With the combine over, we’re here to take an updated look at Draft Wire’s rankings for the wide receiver position:

Colts’ 7-round mock draft post NFL combine

Here’s a 7-round mock draft for the Colts following the NFL combine.

The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine has come and gone, which means it’s time to roll out another seven-round mock draft for the Indianapolis Colts.

With the majority of athletic testing numbers assigned to hundreds of prospects, the Colts will have a better idea of what type of athletes they are dealing with in this class.

But as we know with the Colts, the interviews and face-to-face meetings with these prospects are just as important as their production and measurements. Unfortunately, that’s a side of the draft process we get little insight into.

So with the combine now behind us, here’s an updated look at a seven-round mock for the Colts using Pro Football Network’s mock draft simulator:

10 wide receivers for the Eagles to watch at the 2023 NFL combine

We’re looking at 10 wide receiver prospects for the Philadelphia Eagles to watch at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine

The wide receiver position is settled with A.J. Brown set to start the first year of his monster contract extension, and DeVonta Smith entering his third year, with a fifth-year option all but guaranteed to be picked up.

There’s some uncertainty after the dynamic duo.

Quez Watkins will be in the final year of his rookie deal, while undrafted free agent Britain Covey should return as the primary punt returner.

Zach Pascal will be an unrestricted free agent, and Philadelphia could look to add a talented rookie on a cheap deal to an already blockbuster duo.

With on-field workouts, underway here are ten wide receivers to watch at the NFL Combine on Saturday.

5 wide receivers to watch for Colts at 2023 NFL combine

Here’s a look at 5 WRs to watch for the Colts at the NFL combine.

All indications are that the Indianapolis Colts will likely draft a quarterback in April.

To be successful, the team must continue to put pieces around him, particularly depth at the receiver spot. While the team may re-sign veteran Parris Campbell, the talent beyond Campbell, Pierce, and Pittman Jr. is scarce.

Adding additional help is feasible and could go a long way for an offense that struggled. Fortunately, there appear to be some intriguing options in the 2023 NFL draft.

Here are five wide receivers the Colts should keep an eye on at the NFL Scouting Combine this weekend:

Titans set for meeting with Ole Miss WR Jonathan Mingo

The Titans are set to have an in-person interview with Jonathan Mingo next week.

The Tennessee Titans will talking to a lot of 2023 NFL draft prospects at the wide receiver position ahead of April’s event, as that spot is one of the team’s biggest needs to address this offseason.

After learning that the Titans were set to meet with TCU wideout, Quentin Johnston, we can also add Ole Miss wide receiver Jonathan Mingo to the group of players Tennessee will talk to more in-depth.

While down at the 2023 NFL Combine on Friday, Mingo revealed that he is set to have an in-person meeting with the Titans next week, according to AtoZ Sports Nashville’s Buck Reising.

Here’s a look at some of the 6-foot-2, 225-pound wideouts strengths and weakness, per The Draft Network’s Keith Sanchez:

Top Reasons to Buy In:

Run-after-the-catch ability     

Play strength      

Playmaking ability  

Top Reasons For Concern:

Ability to separate vertically  

Route-running   

Can he catch the ball away from his body?

While Mingo doesn’t have the vertical speed the Titans need, he does meet what they’re looking for in terms of size and physicality and is similar to another former Ole Miss receiver the Titans used to have.

The wide receiver position is one of the toughest ones to gauge this cycle due to the myriad of projections we’re seeing from experts, but Mingo figures to get selected at some point on Day 2.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[stnvideo key=”Z82OIHDUkQ-2582569-7621″ type=”single”]

5 X-receiver targets for Cowboys in 2023 draft

A look at what the Cowboys will look for in an X receiver and who @TimeLettiero thinks stands out in 2023, including an Ivy leaguer with a high ceiling.

X receivers line up out wide, on the opposite side of the TE or the Y, and face a ton of man and press coverages. Because of this, X WRs are typically bigger and stronger than their counterparts and have a more physical nature to their game to help them make contested catches in tight coverage.

Tee Higgins, Mike Williams and Mike Evans are some of the league’s better X receivers. In Dallas, Michael Gallup currently mans the role with Noah Brown as his primary backup. Each had their respective highs and lows this past season. The former is still dealing with injury issues this offseason and has a contract escapable at the end of 2023. The latter is hitting free agency so there is reason to believe Dallas looks to augment this position. Here’s a look at the top five X receiver prospects in the upcoming draft class.

Vikings mock draft 4.0: What if a quarterback falls?

There is a distinct possibility that a quarterback falls in the NFL draft. What would a Vikings draft look like if they took one?

The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of different ways they can go in the NFL draft. There will be some discussion on what needs are most important but the Vikings can address most of them through both free agency and the NFL draft.

In the first mock draft that we did, the Vikings took a cornerback at 23rd overall, took a wide receiver in the second with a trade down and man coverage cornerback with the third. This one, we stayed at each pick and took good players that filled needs.

Browns land top WR and overhaul DL in 2023 NFL Mock Draft

This would be an absolute dream scenario for the Browns.

While the Cleveland Browns do not have a first round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, they do still have a bountiful amount of picks. With eight picks to play with the Browns have a tremendous opportunity to improve weak points at wide receiver and along their defensive line this offseason. While more established names may be found in free agency to add depth to their lineup, the Browns will look to add long-term and young names in the draft as well. As the Browns add defensive linemen Byron Young and Adetomiwa Adebawore in this 2023 NFL Mock Draft, what other young talents can they add through the draft?