 After Mitchell declared for the 2001 NFL Draft , one NFL scout told the Milwaukee Journal @-@ Sentinel in February , " I don 't think he 's as fast as people in the press try to say he is . He 's absolutely fearless over the middle but he prefers to trap the ball instead of to extend for it . I don 't think he has nearly the explosion to be considered a first . " Mitchell was also criticized by scouts for his small frame and potential character issues . Draft analyst Mel Kiper , Jr. rated Mitchell as the 16th @-@ best prospect in the draft following the NFL Scouting Combine in which he ran a 4 @.@ 4 @-@ second 40 @-@ yard dash , and called him a player on the rise . Kiper also rated him as the fifth @-@ best wide receiver in the draft and projected Mitchell to be drafted in the mid @-@ first round following his performance at the Combine . In rating players several times leading up to the draft , Kiper re @-@ watched game film of each player and adjusted their rankings accordingly . In his March 5 mock draft , Kiper projected Mitchell to be drafted by the Green Bay Packers with the tenth overall selection . He ranked Mitchell as the 18th @-@ best player in the draft on March 30 . NFLDraftScout.com projected Mitchell to be drafted in the second round and rated him as the eighth @-@ best wide receiver in the draft . Kiper ranked him the fourth @-@ best wide receiver in the draft on April 2 . In his April 10 mock draft , Kiper projected Mitchell to be drafted by the Denver Broncos with the 24th overall selection . Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post @-@ Gazette ranked Mitchell as the sixth @-@ best wide receiver in the draft . Mitchell hired Tom Condon of IMG Football as his agent leading up to the draft . 
