Razorbacks defensive lineman Mitchell Loewen Draws Attention
By John Sigler
Undrafted free agency gave the New Orleans Saints a bounty of young talent, ranging from offensive linemen Landon Turner and Jack Allen to defensive backs Trae Elston and De’Vante Harris. But another possible contributor signed on after the 2016 NFL Draft: Arkansas Razorbacks defensive lineman Mitchell Loewen.
Mitchell Loewen has been one of the better athletes on Arkansas’ team the last few years, but he’s kind of a man without a position. He’s spent time at tight end, linebacker, fullback, and most recently defensive tackle, but he’s likely playing defensive end for the New Orleans Saints.
Measurables:
- Height: 6-foot, 3-inches
- Weight: 275-pounds
- 225-pound Bench Press: 30 reps
The first thing you notice when watching Loewen is that he’s big and fast. He was consistently the first player to advance when the ball was snapped, often making first contact with his opponents. Loewen has NFL-ready size to play defensive end at a stout 275-pounds, and his frame looks ready to add more muscle if the Saints want to keep him inside.
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Beyond that, it’s hard to project much from Loewen. He was only a part-time player at Arkansas and didn’t complete athletic testing before the draft because of a late-season broken foot. Loewen doesn’t have much college production to his name, but the fact that he changed position four times and was on the punting units speaks to his athleticism and willingness to help however he can.
Loewen played well against some talented NFL prospects in Ole Miss’ tackles Laremy Tunsil and Fahn Cooper as well as Alabama center Ryan Kelly. I credited Loewen with four quarterback pressures against Alabama including a shared sack and a vicious knockdown of quarterback Jake Coker that forced an incompletion on third down. The potential is there, but he needs a lot of work so far as learning how to shed blocks, maintain gap discipline, and be more aware of where the ball is in the backfield.
How he fits the New Orleans Saints:
The New Orleans Saints invested heavily on the defensive line this spring and that makes it hard for a project like Loewen to crack the roster. Between starters Cameron Jordan, Tyeler Davison, and presumably Sheldon Rankins as well as veterans like Nick Fairley, John Jenkins, and second-year undrafted free agent Bobby Richardson, Loewen has his work cut out for him. He’ll have to make a great impression in training camp and get involved in every special teams unit he can to build his case to make final cuts.
I imagine Loewen will, if anything, get a spot on the practice squad as a developmental project to someday back up Cameron Jordan. Both players are of similar size (Jordan is 6-foot-4, about 280-pounds) and can rush quarterbacks from the edge as well as the interior in certain alignments. Loewen’s fellow rookie, David Onyemata, is a similar project being moved outside from defensive tackle at the next level. Both of them should be athletic protégés for defensive line coach Bill Johnson to try to work with.