UCLA’s Mitchell Hopes to Soar With Eagles

Think Freddie Mitchell is fast?

The Philadelphia Eagles showed some high-speed maneuvering of their own Saturday, spending only three of their allotted 15 minutes to snap up the UCLA receiver with the 25th pick in the NFL draft. It was the quickest selection of the first round.

“He’s a good football player,” Eagle Coach Andy Reid said. “He’s a combination of everything. He enjoys playing the game. He has the quickness, toughness, the hands and the things we think are important to play in this offense.”

Reid should know. He flew to Los Angeles last month for the sole purpose of spending a day with Mitchell. The two walked around the UCLA campus, strolled through Westwood, stopped for burgers.

“It’s an honor for a coach to fly out to come see a player,” said Mitchell, the fifth receiver selected and the only player from a Southern California school selected in the first three rounds. “It was very cool. . . . I sat down and got to know him as a person, and what he expects as a coach. I think that’s the most important thing.”

The Eagles tried to trade up into the middle of the first round in an attempt to land receivers Rod Gardner or Santana Moss, but backed off when they found out it would cost them a second-round pick. Gardner went 15th to the Washington Redskins, Moss 16th to the New York Jets.

Mitchell, who thought he might be picked 24th by the Denver Broncos, got a call from the Eagles moments before the Broncos took defensive back Willie Middlebrooks of Minnesota.

The Eagles called again a few minutes later.

“You could hear them screaming and partying in the background,” he said. “It felt good to be wanted like that.”

Mitchell bristled when asked if he will be disappointed if he doesn’t start right away.

“What kind of question is that?” he said. “I’m going to come in and learn from the receivers who are there. When I’m ready, then Coach Reid will get me into the offense.”

Despite having one of the most talented quarterbacks in football, Donovan McNabb, the Eagles did not have anyone in the top 30 in receptions last season. Their top receivers were Chad Lewis (69 catches for 735 yards) and Charles Johnson (56 for 642).

“It’s hard to come right in and start in this league,” said Reid, whose team runs a West Coast offense similar to the San Francisco 49ers’. “We’ll expect him to come in and learn and contribute. We’ll do it similar to the way we did it with Todd [Pinkston],” last year’s second-round pick, who had 10 catches.

Mitchell, who skipped his senior season, is the third UCLA receiver to be drafted in the first round in pro football’s modern era. The first two were Mike Sherrard, taken by the Dallas Cowboys in 1986, and J.J. Stokes, selected by the 49ers in 1996. The Bruins have had six first-round picks in eight years.

Two years after a broken leg sidelined him for most of his redshirt freshman season, Mitchell enjoyed a record-setting junior season. He ranked second in the nation last fall in receiving yards per game (119.5) and in total receiving yards (1,314). He led the Pacific 10 Conference in receiving yards by more than 31 a game.

Tom Modrak, the Eagles’ director of football operations, said the ability of the 5-foot-11, 188-pound Mitchell to position himself makes up for his average size.

“The body-control part is sometimes overlooked,” Modrak said. “Everyone wants to talk about whether a guy is tall. But this guy can position himself. . . . He’s one of those guys who knows when to cut to the hoop. He knows how to play the game.”

Mitchell plays a good game, talks a better one. In the week leading up to the draft, he proclaimed himself the best available receiver “by far.” In UCLA’s Sun Bowl loss to Wisconsin, he scored a touchdown on Jamar Fletcher, turning to give the star cornerback a you-can’t-catch-me wave as he crossed the goal line.

That Reid and Modrak gave Mitchell their stamp of approval says something. In assembling the Eagles, Reid has been extra cautious in selecting team-minded players. Modrak, who came from the Pittsburgh Steelers, has long avoided super-size egos. And, as running back Ricky Watters can attest, Philadelphia can be a cruel place for players whose hubris could fill Veteran Stadium.

Although Mitchell told Philadelphia reporters, “I’m ready for the world to see me,” he also showed some restraint. He was asked how many burgers the chunky Reid wolfed down on his visit.

“He didn’t eat that many,” Mitchell said. “I don’t want to get into trouble here.”