It was the game everyone was waiting for, but nobody more than Kevin Mital.
The Toronto Argonaut receiver had his best outing as a pro last week against Saskatchewan. He hauled in seven passes for 98 yards and his first regular season touchdown after catching a TD pass in last year’s Grey Cup game.
Everyone who keeps a close eye on the Boatmen knew it was a matter of when, not if the Montreal native would have his breakout game. Nobody was happier about last week’s results than Mital himself.
“It feels good,” Mital replied to Argonauts.ca when asked about his big night. “I’ve been waiting; the whole year last year, the whole off-season. So now I can get back in my rhythm and find my place in the offence.”
His place positionally is in the “R” receiver spot. It’s a position that requires a bigger body as the player may be called upon to line up in the slot, play tight end, line up in the backfield to essentially play the role of a fullback, or even carry the ball, something Mital did once last year, running between the tackles for a nine-yard gain.
His positional coach was thrilled to see Mital’s hard work pay off.
“It’s a step in the right direction for sure,” receivers coach and pass game coordinator Pete Costanza told Argonauts.ca. “He’s got a lot on his plate playing at the “R” position, but he’s really starting to figure out the details. It was nice to see him to be able to get some low levels (short passes) and go YAC (yards after catch) it up and make an impact in the game that way. Blocking wise he’s still as good as anybody out there, he’s a strong kid.”
To play the “R” spot more effectively, Mital gained weight last year, bulking up to 234 pounds by the Grey Cup game. This season he slimmed down and weighed in at camp at 220, which allowed him to regain some of the quickness he showed at Laval en route to being named the winner of the 2022 Hec Crighton Award as the best player in U SPORTS.
Two years later he’d become the Argos first-round draft pick, selected fifth overall. On Friday he showed off why the organization had such confidence in him.
“We all knew those kinds of things were coming for him this year,” quarterback Nick Arbuckle told Argonauts.ca. “I think it’s only the beginning for him. I think the best thing to watch is how many more things he can continue to improve on and get better on. Not from the standpoint of not doing something well enough, but knowing his physical tools, how good he can get in certain areas. The sky’s the limit for what his career is going to come to; he has the work ethic and everything mentally to achieve all that stuff as long as he’s blessed with being able to stay healthy.”
It would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to find an Argo who doesn’t feel the same way, but it’s a street that goes two ways. Mital said he’s watched his fellow receivers carefully and tried to bring their best attributes to his game.
“I bring my bag full of bands before I warm up, that’s Dave Ungerer, that’s what he does. DD (DaVaris Daniels) told me I’ve got to find myself a little routine before practice and before games, so now I’ve got my little warm up routine. (Damonte) Coxie is running every day. DD is the veteran and he’s about details, so I’ve taken a little from everybody. It’s helped a lot.”
Mital has now teased everyone with his talent and appears ready to take the next step and become a bigger contributor to the passing game. Costanza knows what the receiver has to do to get there.
“Continue to work on the small details,” said the coach. “Seeing coverage, being able to identify who the blitzers are, who aren’t the blitzers, and in doing all that have the waggle and play fast. Once he can start playing fast and can see it, the game will start slowing down and come easier to him.”
As for Mital, he knows what he has to do to get his game to the next level.
“Be consistent,” he explained. “Every day in practice I have to show I can run; I can do everything they ask me to do. If it’s going in the backfield, catching a deep ball, catching a small route, that I can do the tight end stuff. If I have to catch 10 flats a game I’ll do it, or if I have to catch 10 deep balls, I’ll do it too. Whatever it takes, I just have to be consistent.”
The Argos were astonished that Mital fell to them in the draft. They were thrilled to be able to make a pick they never dreamed possible, and now it appears they’re about to reap the benefits of that selection.
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It was the game everyone was waiting for, but nobody more than Kevin Mital.
The Toronto Argonaut receiver had his best outing as a pro last week against Saskatchewan. He hauled in seven passes for 98 yards and his first regular season touchdown after catching a TD pass in last year’s Grey Cup game.
Everyone who keeps a close eye on the Boatmen knew it was a matter of when, not if the Montreal native would have his breakout game. Nobody was happier about last week’s results than Mital himself.
“It feels good,” Mital replied to Argonauts.ca when asked about his big night. “I’ve been waiting; the whole year last year, the whole off-season. So now I can get back in my rhythm and find my place in the offence.”
His place positionally is in the “R” receiver spot. It’s a position that requires a bigger body as the player may be called upon to line up in the slot, play tight end, line up in the backfield to essentially play the role of a fullback, or even carry the ball, something Mital did once last year, running between the tackles for a nine-yard gain.
His positional coach was thrilled to see Mital’s hard work pay off.
“It’s a step in the right direction for sure,” receivers coach and pass game coordinator Pete Costanza told Argonauts.ca. “He’s got a lot on his plate playing at the “R” position, but he’s really starting to figure out the details. It was nice to see him to be able to get some low levels (short passes) and go YAC (yards after catch) it up and make an impact in the game that way. Blocking wise he’s still as good as anybody out there, he’s a strong kid.”
To play the “R” spot more effectively, Mital gained weight last year, bulking up to 234 pounds by the Grey Cup game. This season he slimmed down and weighed in at camp at 220, which allowed him to regain some of the quickness he showed at Laval en route to being named the winner of the 2022 Hec Crighton Award as the best player in U SPORTS.
Two years later he’d become the Argos first-round draft pick, selected fifth overall. On Friday he showed off why the organization had such confidence in him.
“We all knew those kinds of things were coming for him this year,” quarterback Nick Arbuckle told Argonauts.ca. “I think it’s only the beginning for him. I think the best thing to watch is how many more things he can continue to improve on and get better on. Not from the standpoint of not doing something well enough, but knowing his physical tools, how good he can get in certain areas. The sky’s the limit for what his career is going to come to; he has the work ethic and everything mentally to achieve all that stuff as long as he’s blessed with being able to stay healthy.”
It would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to find an Argo who doesn’t feel the same way, but it’s a street that goes two ways. Mital said he’s watched his fellow receivers carefully and tried to bring their best attributes to his game.
“I bring my bag full of bands before I warm up, that’s Dave Ungerer, that’s what he does. DD (DaVaris Daniels) told me I’ve got to find myself a little routine before practice and before games, so now I’ve got my little warm up routine. (Damonte) Coxie is running every day. DD is the veteran and he’s about details, so I’ve taken a little from everybody. It’s helped a lot.”
Mital has now teased everyone with his talent and appears ready to take the next step and become a bigger contributor to the passing game. Costanza knows what the receiver has to do to get there.
“Continue to work on the small details,” said the coach. “Seeing coverage, being able to identify who the blitzers are, who aren’t the blitzers, and in doing all that have the waggle and play fast. Once he can start playing fast and can see it, the game will start slowing down and come easier to him.”
As for Mital, he knows what he has to do to get his game to the next level.
“Be consistent,” he explained. “Every day in practice I have to show I can run; I can do everything they ask me to do. If it’s going in the backfield, catching a deep ball, catching a small route, that I can do the tight end stuff. If I have to catch 10 flats a game I’ll do it, or if I have to catch 10 deep balls, I’ll do it too. Whatever it takes, I just have to be consistent.”
The Argos were astonished that Mital fell to them in the draft. They were thrilled to be able to make a pick they never dreamed possible, and now it appears they’re about to reap the benefits of that selection.