Tight end, Virginia Tech, 2018–⁠21

James Mitchell

Number
No. 82
Height
6′3″
Weight
242 lb
Class (2021)
Junior
Hometown
Big Stone Gap, VA
Born
Aug 11, 1999

James Mitchell played tight end at Virginia Tech (2018–⁠21). The Detroit Lions took Mitchell in round 5, No. 177 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.

At a glance

Best season
435
Receiving yards, 2020 (Virginia Tech, 5–⁠6)
Drafted
No. 177
Round 5, 2022 NFL Draft (Detroit Lions)

Career highs

103receiving yards, career highat North Carolina, 2020

Receiving

Receiving yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2019Virginia Tech2136317.3267
2020Virginia Tech2643516.7457
2021Virginia Tech5428.4120
Career5284016.2767

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2018Virginia Tech82TERS
2019Virginia Tech82TEFr.
2020Virginia Tech82TESo.
2021Virginia Tech82TEJr.6′3″242

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsage
2019Virginia Tech310.9493rd (n=499)0.5429.24%
2020Virginia Tech420.7477th (n=346)0.5530.97%
2021Virginia Tech41.18––4.7–

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Game by game

2021 Virginia Tech 2 games, 5 catches, 42 yards, 1 TD
DateOpponentResultRecYdsTDLongRush
Sep 3vs.North CarolinaW 17–⁠10336120–
Sep 11vs.Middle TennesseeW 35–⁠1426051
2020 Virginia Tech 9 games, 26 catches, 435 yards, 4 TD
DateOpponentResultRecYdsTDLongRush
Sep 26vs.NC StateW 45–⁠24368133–
Oct 3atDukeW 38–⁠31323112–
Oct 10atNorth CarolinaL 45–⁠5641031571
Oct 17vs.Boston CollegeW 40–⁠14220010–
Oct 24atWake ForestL 16–⁠23351139–
Oct 31atLouisvilleW 42–⁠35346024–
Nov 21atPittsburghL 14–⁠47246038–
Dec 5vs.ClemsonL 10–⁠4531107–
Dec 12vs.VirginiaW 33–⁠15367041–
2019 Virginia Tech 11 games, 21 catches, 363 yards, 2 TD
DateOpponentResultRecYdsTDLongRush
Aug 31atBoston CollegeL 28–⁠35222111–
Sep 7vs.Old DominionW 31–⁠17120020–
Sep 14vs.FurmanW 24–⁠17210073
Sep 27vs.DukeL 10–⁠45––––1
Oct 5atMiamiW 42–⁠353750671
Oct 12vs.Rhode IslandW 34–⁠17127027–
Oct 19vs.North CarolinaW 43–⁠41223020–
Nov 9vs.Wake ForestW 36–⁠173580301
Nov 16atGeorgia TechW 45–⁠0490134–
Nov 23vs.PittsburghW 28–⁠0––––1
Dec 31 ✦vs.KentuckyL 30–⁠37338022–

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

Before the draft

DrillCombine 2022Combine or pro day 2022
Height6′4″
Weight249 lb
Arm length32⅞″
Hand size9¾″
Wingspan77¾″W
Bench press18 repsW

Combine or pro day: the source doesn’t say which. Unmarked: Combine and pro day results compiled by array-carpenter (nfl-draft-data); W: Pre-draft measurables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

In the NFL

3 seasons, 12 games with a stat; latest team: Dallas Cowboys.

SeasonTeamGRecYdsTD
2022Detroit Lions8111131
2023Detroit Lions22280
2025Carolina Panthers23280
NFL career12161691

Regular seasons, from nflverse (CC BY 4.0). G counts games in which the player recorded a stat.

Is this you, or do you know of something wrong or missing here? Suggest a correction. We check each one against a source before changing the page.