ALAMEDA — Mike Mitchell comes back to the Coliseum Sunday as the reigning AFC defensive player of the week one of the last draft legacies from late Raiders’ owner Al Davis.
Mitchell, an unrestricted free agent, was signed by the Indianapolis Colts on Oct. 9 and has made an immediate impact at strong safety.
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“Before this game, and even in the past when I’ve played Oakland, I always walk up to Mr. Mark Davis and give him a big hug an thank him for what his father did for me and my family,” Mitchell told the Indianapolis Star this week. “He gave me my first opportunity to play in this league, so I’m extremely grateful to that family.”
Mitchell is one of seven active players selected when Davis was still running the personnel department, none of whom play for the Raiders. The others are Philadelphia guard Stefen Wisniewski, L.A. Chargers tackle Joe Barksdale, Buffalo running back Taiwan Jones, Denver tackle Jared Veldheer, Pittsburgh wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey and Seattle place-kicker Sebastian Janikowski.
Among those players, Mitchell was one of the most controversial. He had a solid but unremarkable career at Ohio University but his size (6-foot-1, 220 pounds), strength and speed appealed to Davis — so much so that he ignored the fifth-round grade given by his own scouting department.
After the Raiders took Heyward-Bay in the first round in 2009, Mitchell — considered a late-round pick or undrafted free agent — was selected by the Raiders in the second round, No. 47 overall.
The pick was derided as a major reach. ESPN draft analyst Mike Mayock conceded on the air he’d never even heard of Mitchell. During four seasons with the Raiders, Mitchell played for three head coaches (Tom Cable, Hue Jackson and Dennis Allen) started only nine times and his role was primarily on special teams.
In 2010, the Raiders actually considered cutting Mitchell in favor of Stevie Brown, a seventh-round draft pick out of Michigan. Brown even spoke to the media on the day of the final cut-down, believing he’d made the roster.
Davis, however, had the final say and a day later Brown had been released (he was added to the practice squad and later made the roster) and Mitchell stayed.
Asked if he realized he’d been that close to being cut, Mitchell said, “I didn’t know that. I’m glad they didn’t.”
It took free agency for Mitchell to establish himself as an NFL starter. He started nine times in 64 games with the Raiders, then started 75 times in 76 games for the Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers from 2013 through 2017.
“I don’t really live my life on proving people wrong, but I’ve always wanted to prove the people that have loved me and supported me correct,” Mitchell said. “Mr. Davis was one of them. My mother and father. I’m very close with my brother and sister. I have a small and very close support system, and there’s a couple coaches in there, maybe 15 people, that I even care what they think. Outside of that? It’s just noise.”
After his contract expired with Pittsburgh last season, Mitchell, 31, found few teams in the market for safeties, and the teams that were interested wanted to pay a minimum wage.
After signing with the Colts, Mitchell wasted no time in making an impact. In a 37-5 win over Buffalo last week, Mitchell had seven tackles, a forced fumble, two passes defended and an interception — a performance that earned him defensive player of the week in just his second game with Indianapolis.
“It’s just crazy how quickly he stepped in and made an impact on the field and off the field,” coach Frank Reich told Bay Area reporters by conference call. He’s a leader. Not only does he bring his years of experience, but instantaneously he started making plays on the field. He’s savvy, instinctive, disciplined, plays hard, aggressive. Been a great spark for our defense.”
AL’S LEGACY PICKS
Aside from Mike Mitchell, the following selections made while Al Davis ran the Raiders’ personnel department are still on NFL rosters:
G Stefen Wisniewski, Philadelphia Eagles: Taken in the second round (49th overall) in 2011, Wisniewski was primarily a center for the Raiders with 61 starts in four seasons. He signed with Jacksonville in 2015 and is in his third season with the Eagles, starting last season on a Super Bowl champion.
T Joe Barksdale, L.A. Chargers: A third-round pick (92nd overall) in 2011, Barksdale played in 16 games with no starts as a rookie and was released after one season when the Raiders switched to a zone blocking scheme. Barksdale has played in 44 games with 43 starts for the Chargers since 2015. After being released by the Raiders, Barksdale played in 38 games in three seasons with the St. Louis Rams with 31 starts.
RB Taiwan Jones, Buffalo Bills: A fourth-round pick in 2011 (125th overall), the Deer Valley High (Antioch) product has carved out a career as a special teams player. He played six seasons with the Raiders and is in his second season in Buffalo. In 80 career games, Jones has never started a game on offense.
T Jared Veldheer, Denver Broncos: A third-round pick in 2010 (69th overall), Veldheer made his first start as a center with the Raiders but quickly became the starting left tackle with 48 starts in 53 games. Veldheer signed with the Arizona Cardinals in free agency, where he started 53 games in four seasons. He was traded to Denver before the 2018 season and has four starts at right tackle.
WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, Pittsburgh Steelers. A first-round pick (7th overall) in 2009, Heyward-Bey was viewed as a classic Davis reach based on his size and status as one of the fastest receivers in the draft. Heyward-Bey, considered a late-first or early-second-round selection, never blossomed as dominant receiver but has survived nine seasons as a reserve and special teams player. Signed with Indianapolis in 2013 and has played with Pittsburgh from 2014 to the present. Had his biggest seasons with the Raiders in 2011 and 2012 where he caught 105 passes for 1,581 yards and 11 touchdowns.
PK Sebastian Janikowski, Seattle Seahawks: A first-round pick in 2000 (17th overall), Janikowski played 17 seasons with the Raiders and is the all-time leading scorer in franchise history. The selection was regarded at the time as a reach by Davis. Janikowski spent 2017 on injured reserve with a back injury and signed with Seattle as an unrestricted free agent. Janikowski, 40, has converted eight of 11 field goal attempts for the Seahawks with a long of 56 yards this season.
Note: Terrelle Pryor, a quarterback who was the last selection made by Davis before he died, is recovering from an ankle injury, scheduling tryouts and hopes to be on an NFL roster before the season is out. Pryor was selected in the 2011 supplemental draft. Since leaving the Raiders after the 2013 season, Pryor has been a wide receiver for Cleveland, Washington and the New York Jets.
