USAToday.com
Ohio safety Mike Mitchell puts a hit on.
His name is
Michael Mitchell, but he answers to Mike. He's listed as a strong safety, but he prefers just safety because he can play both strong and free.
Who knows? The potential sleeper pick from Ohio University just might be a late-round answer to a Raiders secondary in search of a big-time safety ever since Rod Woodson left. With just three safeties on the roster, there's no question the Raiders want to add competition and talent to the system.
Mitchell took time out to chat shortly after visiting the Raiders (along with TCU center
Blake Schlueter and South Carolina tight end
Jared Cook) Friday.
Q: How was the visit?
A: "It went amazing, absolutely amazing. Everything I thought it would be. This team has the most history of any franchise in football. To see all the pictures of all those great players up on the wall, to have (secondary coaches)
Lionel Washington and
Willie Brown actually speaking to me, it was so humbling. It's definitely an organization I want to be a part of.
Q: You're listed as a strong safety but I hear you played free safety last season. Which is it?
A: "I can do both things. I can do both very well. At strong safety, I can be a very imposing force against the run and in the pass game. At free, I can be a guy who covers well and gets interceptions. I have a lot of God-given gifts than can really help, especially an organization that needs a safety."
Q: This is your eighth official visit of the month, including a trip to Cleveland. Can next Saturday get here fast enough?
A: "I'm extremely exhausted. I've spent more time in airports and airplanes than I have in my own house the past 3 1/2 weeks. I'm looking forward to bring in my home (Friday night) in my own home, my own sheets and wake up to the sounds of my own house. Can't wait for my mom to come into my room at 8 a.m. singing that Mickey Mouse song like she's been doing as long as I can remember. She drives me crazy with that song but breakfast is usually right after that so I can't complain."
** Mitchell was not invited to the NFL combine, but the 6-0, 221-pounder got attention by running a 4.32-second 40 at his pro day workout with 21 bench reps and a 37 1/2 broad jump.
Judge for yourself by
clicking here for a youtube highlight reel. For more about where he could fit it on the Raiders, check Monday's Chronicle (newspaper version and/or sfgate.com)
