Ranking every first-round WR taken by Philadelphia Eagles in team history
. . Freddie Mitchell (2001–2004). 4. player. 54.
25th-overall selection, 2001
Former “Bird” Freddie Mitchell might be the Dwayne Johnson of the Philadelphia Eagles, minus the WWE titles, the WWE Hall of Fame nod in 2008, and the successful movie and television career.
Come to think of it, we take that back. The only thing that Freddie Mitchell and “The Rock” have in common is they both have a lot of really cool nicknames, and they were both pretty impressive with a microphone in their hands.
Whether you call him “FredEx”, “FirstDown Freddie”, “Hollywood”, “The Sultan of the Slot”, or “The People’s Champ”, no one will ever forget “Fast Freddie”. One reason is that he’ll forever be remembered for being the guy on the receiving end of “4th and 26”. Second, no one will ever forget that Philly took him at 25 in the 2001 NFL Draft when Reggie Wayne, Chad Johnson, Todd Heap, and Alge Crumpler were all still on the board.
To make matters even worse, everybody missed on a young prospect coming out of the Utah Utes program by the name of Steve Smith until the Carolina Panthers scooped him up with the 74th-overall selection.
Mitchell caught 107 receptions for 1,450 yards and made six trips to the end zone in his relatively short 73-game career with Philly (including his ten playoff games). Steve Smith and Reggie Wayne are both locks for the Hall of Fame, and Mitchell’s career pales in comparison to Chad Johnson’s.