What to Know: Packers Sign WR Osirus Mitchell & a Cut is Incoming
By Paul Bretl
Monday was a busy day for the Green Bay Packers, who begin training camp on Wednesday.
After the team announced that they had signed safety Dallin Leavitt, Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network would report that the Packers also signed wide receiver Osirus Mitchell to a one-year deal.
What to know about the newest Packers wide receiver, Osirus Mitchell.
Mitchell went undrafted in 2021 out of Mississippi State and spent most of last season on the Dallas practice squad.
In college, Mitchell caught 102 of his 159 targets — or 64% — at 13.0 yards per catch with 13 touchdowns, with most of his snaps coming on the boundary, according to PFF ($$).
His most productive season was his last, where Mitchell totaled 502 receiving yards while catching an impressive 77% of his targets at 10.9 yards per catch with four touchdowns. For what it’s worth, he graded out okay as a run-blocker by PFF’s metrics and totaled 116 career special teams snaps at Mississippi State.
Most recently, Mitchell was playing in the USFL with the Birmingham Stallions, who won the league championship. He would haul in 23 of his targets with a completion rate of 48.9% while recording 333 receiving yards with three touchdowns. Mitchell finished third on his team in receiving yards and 15th in the USFL overall.
Mitchell measures in at 6’5″ and weighs 206 pounds. Coming out of college, he posted a Relative Athletic Score of 6.02 out of 10–which included a 4.61-second 40-time. He would, however, test very well in both the vertical and broad jumps.
The Green Bay Packers entered Monday with 89 players on the roster, but with the additions of Leavitt and Mitchell, they are at 91 players–putting them one over the 90-player maximum. This, of course, means a cut is on the way.
Considering that the safety position wasn’t all that deep before adding Leavitt, I don’t believe the subtraction will come from there. However, UDFA wide receiver Danny Davis could be a candidate.
Despite the unknowns at the receiver position, this is a crowded unit with six roster spots already accounted for by Sammy Watkins, Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Amari Rodgers. The Packers have never kept seven receivers on the initial roster under Matt LaFleur, but if they decide to this year, competing for that spot will be seventh-round pick Samori Toure, along with Juwann Winfree and Malik Taylor, both of whom have some NFL experience.
There was never going to be a path to making the 53-man roster for Davis, and even making the practice squad was going to be a tall task. With that said, Mitchell faces a similar challenge as Davis when it comes to making this Green Bay Packers team in some capacity
The Packers are yet to make the signing of Mitchell official, but with the team hitting the practice field on Wednesday, that announcement shouldn’t be too far off.