James Mitchell comes to Detroit to help round the Lions tight end group behind T.J. Hockenson after the Lions used their 117th overall selection in the 2022 NFL draft on the Virginia Tech product. If not for a tragic ACL injury, Mitchell probably would’ve heard his name sooner, but either way, his dream of making it to the NFL has come true.
The draft is a fun experience to witness young players’ dreams come true after the grit and hard work they put in since they were young. Getting the call from the team saying they are going to select you because they believe what you can bring to the table is nothing short of special.
Mitchell was in the comfort of his own home surrounded by friends and family, all wearing “Draft Day” shirts with the number 82, his jersey number from Virginia Tech, all of whom could not be happy for the young man.
Here are two videos to witness Mitchell’s path to Detroit. The first is the call he received from the Lions brass, and the second is when his name came across the broadcast.
What's it like when an NFL team calls to draft you? @unionfootball00 star @j_mitch82 got to find out when the @Lions drafted him in the 5th round #WCYB pic.twitter.com/1zEBAPmxFy
— Heather Williams (@WCYB_Heather) April 30, 2022
The call just came for @j_mitch82 it’s Detroit! pic.twitter.com/jhfZ3cLh99
— Heather Williams (@WCYB_Heather) April 30, 2022
Afterwards, he shots out a video looking forward to learning from Dan Campbell, a former tight end, and T.J. Hockenson.
Great environment, great opportunity for @j_mitch82!#LionsDraft | @powerhomesolar pic.twitter.com/h1FfuRlF89
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) April 30, 2022
