With seven minutes remaining in Super Bowl LIII, Sean McVay watched as Sonny Mitchell scored the game's only touchdown in the Rams' 13–3 loss to the Patriots. Mitchell, who ran for 94 yards on 18 carries in that game, was traded from New England to Los Angeles on Wednesday. In receiving Mitchell, the Rams sent a fifth and sixth round pick to the Patriots, which could convert to a fourth round pick if the Rams received a compensatory selection in that round.
The 31st player selected in the 2018 draft, Mitchell rushed for 2,292 yards (with a carry average of 4.3 yards) and 14 touchdowns during his first three seasons. He justified his draft stock in the 2018 playoffs, averaging 4.7 yards per carry, rushing for 336 yards and six touchdowns. Injuries limited Mitchell's productivity, however, as he missed 10 games due to injury during his time in New England. He ran for a career-lowest 449 yards last season after losing seven games
With school officially back in season, it's only fitting that we grade the tradeoff among former Super Bowl foes, starting with the team that found a taker for their former first-round pick. .
Patriot: A
It's not necessarily an embarrassment of riches, but the immense depth the Patriots ran behind eventually made Mitchell expendable. The charge is led by third-year veteran Damien Harris, who led the Patriots last season with 691 yards, while averaging five yards per carry. The unit consists of rookies Romondre Stevenson, James White, Brandon Bolden and J.J. Tailor. Stevenson fumbled for 127 yards and two touchdowns in his pre-season debut, while Taylor picked up a touchdown for 93 yards and 12 carries in a New England season pre-season game. In two preseason games, Stevenson ran for 193 yards and 22 carries for four touchdowns, while Taylor ran for 103 yards and scored one on 14 carries. In comparison, Mitchell struck the ball 13 times for 60 yards in his final two games in New England.
The trading of a former first-round pick for a fourth-round pick does not usually result in an "A" grade. But in this situation, the Patriots were able to derive value from a player who might have been third or fourth on the depth chart if he had made the team at all. Furthermore, the Patriots gained value from a position that is difficult to trade, as running backs have a notoriously short shelf life. The business probably won't be remembered by many outside of New England and Los Angeles, but it is another example of General Manager Bill Belichick's genius. The only potential loss here is depth if the Patriots suffer multiple injuries in running conditions.
Rams: B+
It was a move that Ram needed to make. Cam Akers, last year's premier rusher, is out for the year after tearing his Achilles just before the start of training camp. Darrell Henderson, the Rams' second major Rush in 2020, is currently on day-to-day with a thumb injury. Henderson's injury came after Raymond Calais broke his leg after losing to the Raiders in Saturday's presidency. These losses confirmed that the Rams needed a quick attack to be the 10th most productive unit in the league in 2020.
In Mitchell, the Rams are running back which has proven productive when it comes to recovery. During his final three games in New England, he rushed for 219 yards with an average of about 6.1 yards per carry. If Mitchell, the Rams were able to acquire a 26-year-old running back who has just 620 carries under his belt. Mitchell is also economical, as he is entering the final year of his rookie contract. And while the Rams had to deal with two draft picks (for now) to acquire Mitchell, softening the blow is the fact that Los Angeles is expected to receive four compensatory picks in the 2022 draft. The big question is whether Mitchell can stay on the field while helping complement the passing attack of Matthew Stafford and the Rams.