| No. 85 – Carolina Panthers | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Tight end | ||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1999-08-11)August 11, 1999 (age 26) Big Stone Gap, Virginia, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 249 lb (113 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Union(Big Stone Gap) | ||||||||
| College | Virginia Tech (2018–2021) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 2022: 5th round, 177th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
James Maxell Mitchell (born August 11, 1999), nicknamed "the Governor", is an American professionalfootballtight end for theCarolina Panthers of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theVirginia Tech Hokies.
James Mitchell was born August 11, 1999, to Jimmy and Marcia Mitchell. Mitchell's father is a pastor and his mother played college basketballBrown University.[1] Mitchell's father appeared inBig Stone Gap, a film about set in Mitchell's hometown.[2] Mitchell grew up inBig Stone Gap, Virginia and attendedUnion High School where he was a stand out athlete in multiple sports. Mitchell's athleticism was noticed at an early age when he began dunking the ball in middle school while playing JV basketball.[1][3] He committed to playcollege football forVirginia Tech over offers fromGeorgia,Duke andClemson.[4]
Mitchell played in 13 games, primarily on special teams, as a freshman.[5] He became a starter as a sophomore and caught 21 passes for 361 yards with two touchdowns.[6] Mitchell had 26 receptions for 435 yards and four touchdowns as a junior.[7] He was nicknamed "the Governor" during his junior season by his coaching staff and teammates.[8] Mitchell considered entering the2021 NFL draft, but opted to stay atVirginia Tech for his senior season.[9] Mitchell was named to the Pre-season All-Atlantic Coast Conference team prior to his senior year and was on theMackey Award watch list.[10] Mitchell suffered a season-ending injury in the second game of his senior year.[11] Following the end of the season, he announced that he would be entering the2022 NFL draft.[12]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Bench press | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 249 lb (113 kg) | 32+7⁄8 in (0.84 m) | 9+3⁄4 in (0.25 m) | 18 reps | ||||||||
| All values fromNFL Combine/Pro Day[13][14] | ||||||||||||
Mitchell was selected in the fifth round with the 177th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft by theDetroit Lions.[15] During Week 8 against theMiami Dolphins, Mitchell recorded his first NFL catch on a 14–yard reception fromJared Goff.[16] On November 6, Mitchell recorded his first NFL touchdown on a three-yard reception against theGreen Bay Packers atFord Field.[17] As a rookie, Mitchell appeared in 14 games. He recorded 11 receptions for 113 receiving yards and one touchdown.[18]
Mitchell was waived by the Lions on August 27, 2024, and re-signed to the practice squad.[19][20]
On January 21, 2025, Mitchell signed a reserve/future contract with theCarolina Panthers.[21]