S Mitch Meeuwsen, Oregon State
How can a guy with 217 career tackles (including 10.5 for loss), 29 passes defensed and 20 collegiate interceptions go so unnoticed? When you make 11 tackles against the national champions, get 20 picks in a conference that has included Aaron Rodgers, Kyle Boller, Andrew Walters and two Heisman trophy winners in Matt Leinart (how much easier would mocks be if he’d declared?) and Carson Palmer you’d imagine it’d be hard to be ignored. This guy is a bona-fide ballhawk and is as productive as anyone in the NCAA. By the way, he runs a 4.7 40yd dash, so the rest gets completely ignored. Pros: Great ability to adjust to the ball, very intelligent, knows the details of his position.
Cons: Overshadowed by Browner, who has been his partner in crime at OSU.
Draft Exchange Analysis:
2004 – Mitch is one of the best safeties in the history of the program…a smart player who has a knack for being around the ball…a student of the game…also possesses good hands…he enters 2004 with 14 interceptions, one shy of the school record of 15 (Dan Espalin – 1962-64)…he also has accounted for five recovered fumbles…enters the year with 145 total tackles…he has played 33 games for his career…started 14 games in a row and 28 for his career…missed spring drills while rehabilitating from a shoulder injury.

2003 – Honorable mention All-Pac-10 as a junior…started all 13 games at free safety…tied for fourth on the team for tackles with 52…he and Brandon Browner intercepted six passes for the season…three of those interceptions came at Washington State, where he returned one 45 yards for a touchdown…he also had two picks at Fresno State, and one at California…had a season-high six tackles three times (NMSU, Ariz., UO)…he missed spring practice due to a knee injury, but was at full strength at the start of fall practice.

2002 – Mitch played the first six games of the season before suffering a knee sprain that kept him out of the next four contests…had 40 tackles for the season and a team-high five interceptions…recorded a season-high eight tackles vs. UCLA, and seven against USC and Pittsburgh in the Insight Bowl…had two interceptions at Temple and vs. Oregon, plus one against Eastern Kentucky in the season opener.

2001 – Meeuwsen had 53 tackles as a redshirt-freshman…he recovered four fumbles (1st in Pac-10) for the season and intercepted three passes…The Football Writers Association, The Football News, and The Sporting News all named him to their respective Freshman All-American teams…he was named OSU’s ABC Chevrolet Player of the Game against UCLA after having nine tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and a quarterback hurry against UCLA in his first college start…Meeuwsen became the starter when Calvin Carlyle suffered a shoulder injury in the second game of the season…he had a career-high 10 tackles against California.

2000 – Mitch redshirted as a true-freshman.

FOREST GROVE Mitch came to Oregon State after earning a total of nine letters in the sports of football, basketball, and baseball…came to OSU with the intentions of playing football and baseball…he was the Pac-8 Conference Defensive Player of the Year as a junior and senior as a strong safety…first team all-state as a senior at safety and honorable mention as a quarterback…honorable mention All-USA Today Team…he caught 47 passes for 700-plus yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore…accounted for 30 touchdowns as a senior, 16 on the ground and 14 passing…ranked as the third-best strong safety by one recruiting service in high school.

PERSONAL Born in Hillsboro, Oregon…son of Earl and Debbie Meeuwsen…has one brother and one sister…entered OSU with a 3.18 cumulative GPA…majoring in geography.