Usually, the Senior Bowl allows prospects from small schools to come out and shine against the big dogs, giving NFL teams a chance to potentially find diamonds.
This year, that diamond could be Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, who, according to scouts and ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, cemented himself as a first-round pick with a dominant performance.
"He was the best player on the field on Tuesday. That's not a hot take. That's reality," one anonymous scout said.
Well, that's some praise, especially for a player who doesn't hail from a big Power 5 school, and frankly, you don't have to go to a big Power 5 school to make an impact in the NFL. At six-foot, 196 pounds, Mitchell had 39 pass breakups over the past three seasons, which is pretty good, and with the NFL becoming more pass-heavy, that type of production is essential.
So where can Mitchell go? As of this particular performance, he may just rocket-shot himself into the first round, but the bottom of the first round, which is still pretty good as Toledo has only one first-round pick in their history, DE Dan Williams of the Denver Broncos back in 1993. Williams had 27 sacks in his career (1993-2001).
Let's take a look at 3 teams who could take a flier on Mitchell in this year's draft.
No. 1: Dallas Cowboys
This past season saw the emergence of DaRon Bland as he filled in for an injured Trevon Diggs. With Stephon Gilmore on the opposing side, the secondary of Dallas was a menace for the opposition, until the playoffs.
Now, the Cowboys need to reload on talent to get back to the postseason and make amends for their failures.
Adding Mitchell in the first round wouldn't be a bad idea. On top of that, Will McClay, who puts the Cowboys draft boards together, knows how to find talent, see their recent drafts and their draft history since 2011. They know where to go for good players.
Adding Mitchell to the Dallas secondary would make it younger and faster than it already is. Additionally, if Dallas opts to not retain Gilmore, Diggs and Bland can occupy the outside and allow Mitchell to move in as a nickelback and instantly find a way to contribute as most teams are operating out of 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR).
The Cowboys could once again show why they are one of the better scouting teams by taking a small school prospect and turning him into one of their better secret weapons.
No. 2: Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs are all set to play the 49ers in the Super Bowl, but outside of L'Jarius Sneed, there isn't much to brag about for the cornerback position. Adding a new body would be of the utmost importance, especially if Sneed leaves due to not receiving a contract extension (he more than likely will be retained, but just in case).
Also, there is a competitive reason to consider for the Chiefs, and that starts from within their own division and the moves that were made amongst all three teams this offseason.
The Raiders chose to retain Antonio Pierce, the Chargers went after Jim Harbaugh, and the Broncos still have Sean Payton and some draft capital that they didn't trade away. Kansas City shouldn't necessarily be afraid of the others catching up, but they still need to be cautious because there will be a year where the division isn't a cakewalk (it also happened to the Patriots).
The best thing to do is to fill the holes as quickly as possible if any exist. Mitchell would come in and, with a bit of coaching, can fill that hole with ease, and put yet another feather in the cap of general manager Brett Veach.
No. 3: Detroit Lions
Despite having major issues in their secondary, the Lions found themselves in the NFC Championship and owning a 17-point lead before falling short the San Francisco 49ers. Better cornerback play would have ensured that the Motor City would find themselves in Las Vegas for the big show, but it wasn't in the script.
Now, the Lions need to fix those holes and gaps at wide receiver. The secondary can get a boost with the addition of Quinyon Mitchell because frankly, there's nowhere to go but up.
Mitchell has a good chance to be a Day 1 starter at cornerback if he outperforms the rest of the cornerbacks. Also, his physicality fits the mold that Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell are seeking.
The Lions came up small and they need to fill the holes while they still have a vast majority of their key players on rookie contracts. Better win now before the checkbooks have to be opened, else it will all go for naught. There's only so many opportunities you can get before expectations become a harsh part of reality.