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    Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss | NFL Draft Scouting Report

    Ole Miss WR Jonathan Mingo has quite an expectation to meet, coming from the school that produced A.J. Brown and DK Metcalf. But he has the tools to meet it.

    It’s no secret that Ole Miss has been a wide receiver factory in recent years, and with his 2023 NFL Draft scouting report, Jonathan Mingo is the next man up on the conveyer belt. Can Mingo live up to the expectations set by A.J. Brown, DK Metcalf, and others? Let’s find out.

    Jonathan Mingo NFL Draft Profile

    • Position: Wide Receiver
    • School: Ole Miss
    • Current Year: Senior
    • Height/Weight: 6’1 3/8″, 226 pounds
    • Length: 32″
    • Wingspan: 76 1/4″
    • Hand: 10 1/4″

    At a school like Ole Miss, sometimes you have to wait your turn to truly emerge as an elite receiving threat. When NFL talents like Brown, Metcalf, and Elijah Moore are funneling targets each year, it can be difficult to break through. But Mingo was able to take advantage of his opportunity in 2022.

    The signs were always there with Mingo. He arrived at the Rebels’ campus as a talented four-star recruit, who flashed great promise in his first two seasons. In 2021, Mingo seemed on the verge of a breakout. But after compiling 22 catches, 346 yards, and three touchdowns in six games, he missed the remaining seven with a broken foot.

    The broken foot only stalled Mingo’s progress for so long, however. In 2022, he came back stronger than before and emerged as a true catalyst for the Ole Miss offense. Mingo put up 51 catches for 861 yards and five touchdowns, averaging nearly 17 yards per catch. Against Vanderbilt, he broke the Ole Miss school record for single-game receiving yards with 247.

    Mingo’s success in 2022 led him to the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, where he only compounded his momentum on the path to the 2023 NFL Draft. Now, he’s rising up boards, and the question on everyone’s mind is: How high can he go?

    Jonathan Mingo Scouting Report

    Strengths

    • Carries rare mass at WR with ease and has an exceptional catch radius.
    • Instant accelerator and twitched-up athlete, with snappy feet and short-area mobility.
    • Rapid mover who can seamlessly carry acceleration through cuts and direction changes.
    • Elite catcher of the football, with adept ball tracking, control, timing, and coordination.
    • Routinely secures passes with hands and makes effortless high-difficulty adjustments.
    • Flashes surgical foot speed, pacing, and sharp flexibility through breaks as a separator.
    • Can accelerate into stems, eat up cushion, and use targeted physicality to break free.
    • Plus-sized speed demon with long-track explosiveness to stack and separate downfield.
    • Frame density affords him phenomenal contact balance, magnified by his physicality.
    • Excellent run blocker who attacks defenders in space and drives downfield.

    Areas for Improvement

    • Route tree was limited at times, with frequent hitches, screens, and vertical concepts.
    • Long speed might be slightly less than elite, sometimes failing to erase cushions.
    • Is competent laterally, but doesn’t have elite stop-and-start ability in space.
    • Hip sink and flexibility on deep comebacks can be underwhelming.
    • Sometimes needs a couple extra steps to fully decelerate ahead of intermediate stems.
    • Plant and drive footwork at stems can be more efficient at times.
    • At times, tries to do too much after the catch, freezing and mitigating burst in space.
    • Occasionally body-catches in space, which can be a potential source of drops.
    • Doesn’t quite have elite hand strength in contested situations.

    Ole Miss WR Jonathan Mingo Current Draft Projection

    Mingo grades out as a potential top-75 prospect for me, and he’s in the conversation to be one of the top 10 WRs in the 2023 NFL Draft. I’ll be higher on Mingo than most, but all the physical tools are there for him to be a vital three-level component. Additionally, he has visible upside as a route runner.

    With Mingo, it starts with the physical qualities he possesses. At the Senior Bowl, he measured in at 6’1 3/8″ and 226 pounds, with 32″ arms. Mingo has an incredibly dense, massive frame for a wide receiver and a stellar catch radius. And yet, he’s one of the most explosive, amped-up athletes in the 2023 NFL Draft.

    At his size, Mingo is an instant accelerator with elite burst out of cuts and breaks, and his speed can truly stress defenses downfield. At the catch point, he’s incredibly instinctive and controlled with his movements. He’s a superb RAC threat with his RB-like contact balance, measured lateral freedom, and explosiveness in space.

    There’s still room for Mingo to grow. While he has the desired building blocks as a route runner, he can still be more efficient, consistent, and diverse in that phase. And while he’s very instinctive at the catch point, his hand strength can be inconsistent when contested.

    Having said all this, Mingo is trending up as a route runner. He can tempo his routes, work to stems effectively, and displace off the line with walk-off, split, and speed releases. In all other phases, he’s a rare mold of WR with exciting all-encompassing upside, and versatility to line up all across the offense — as an X, a motion man, or a big slot.

    Right away, Mingo can be a valuable part of a WR rotation with his three-level ability, versatility, and blocking ability. In time, he has the upside to be an impact starter for an NFL offense.

    Tony Pauline’s Scouting Report for Jonathan Mingo

    Strengths: Dependable wideout with nice size and above-average speed. Quick for a big receiver, sells routes, and works his hands to separate from defenders. Tracks the pass in the air and makes the tough catch in a battle or lays out for the difficult reception.

    Displays terrific eye/hand coordination, adjusts to the errant throw, and grabs the ball in stride. Plays big football and takes a pounding, yet holds onto the ball. Smooth. Gives effort blocking downfield.

    Weaknesses: While he ran well at the Combine, Mingo’s game lacks a deep burst. Not a true vertical threat. Showed a lot of inconsistency in the past. Had just one productive season at Mississippi.

    Overall: Mingo really watched his game take off last season and is headed in the right direction. He possesses reliable hands and shows athleticism. Though he’s not a deep threat, Mingo is an outstanding receiver on underneath and intermediate patterns. He possesses a tremendous amount of upside potential, and if his game continues to improve, Mingo has the ability to develop into a No. 2 receiver on Sundays.

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