Anthony

Gould

Mitchell started in place of injured slot receiver Josh Downs (high-ankle sprain), though Mitchell was curiously subbed out for fellow rookie Anthony Gould on third downs, as noted by PFF’s Nathan Jahnke. Mitchell promisingly logged perimeter snaps opposite Alec Pierce in 12 personnel with the second-team offense. Gould averaged 22.0 yards per return on three total kickoff returns.

According to Boyd, Gould “has flashed more as a receiver than as a returner during camp.” The rookie fifth-rounder made a name for himself as a returner during his time at Oregon State, but with Downs sidelined for multiple weeks, there’s now a hole that needs to be filled at the slot position. Gould blazed a 4.39 40-yard dash at the combine this spring and totaled 44-711-2 in his final season of college. He played just 33.5 percent of his college snaps from the slot but had a 90.5 percent slot rate in 2021. We wouldn’t expect Gould to offer much fantasy upside, but this is worth monitoring as the team figures out a temporary replacement for Downs.

Gould (5’8/174) is an undersized receiver who surprisingly played 92.4 percent of his snaps out wide in his final year at Oregon State. Last season was undoubtedly Gould’s best, as the 44 receptions and 711 yards he posted were more than the he totaled in his previous four seasons combined. Despite his size, Gould’s 4.39 40-time and elite vertical and broad jumps were exactly what he needed to catch the attention of scouts. Gould ran only 601 routes during five years in college and spent most of his time in the slot before last season. He may return to the slot as a pro, but the former First-team All-Pac-12 return specialist may be better served on special teams. Gould averaged 16.3 yards per punt return and returned 14 punts for two scores in 2022.