Philadelphia Eagles rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell doesn’t lack any confidence. That was apparent from the very first time he was matched up against Eagles star wide receiver A.J. Brown during practice.
According to Brown, Mitchell told him that his route was “trash.” Mitchell also told DeVonta Smith the same exact thing when they matched up against each other during team drills.
Mitchell wasn’t shy in his NFL debut either, as he was captured jawing back and forth with several players on the Green Bay Packers in Week 1. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni certainly appreciates Mitchell’s competitiveness.
Quinyon Mitchell Impresses Nick Sirianni in NFL Debut
Following a strong performance against the Packers, Sirianni was asked what sets Mitchell apart from the other rookies around the NFL who struggled in Week 1.
“Again, the moment is never too big for him,” Sirianni said. “He’s just very calm and very confident. Which you need to be as a corner.
“You need to have short memories; you need to be confident in yourself because you’re on an island out there the entire game.”
After playing both outside cornerback and slot cornerback during training camp and preseason action, Mitchell started across from Darius Slay Jr. in Week 1.
Despite matching up with several different wide receivers, Mitchell held his own against the Packers, as he allowed just four receptions on nine targets for 60 yards and a passer rating of 66.9, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
A true sign of Mitchell’s poise was his performance on third down in his NFL debut. Mitchell was targeted just once on third down and didn’t allow a completion. Sirianni praised Mitchell’s poise during his press conference on Monday.
“I just thought his poise in his first NFL game, not surprising,” Sirianni said. “He doesn’t get too up; he doesn’t get too down. And you saw that during camp. Again, great predictor of how you’re going to play in the games is how you practice.
“So, he’s been able to go against A.J. (Brown) and DeVonta (Smith) throughout the entire camp. That’s obviously a huge advantage that he has over different guys, that he gets to play against two of the best receivers in the game every day at practice.”
What’s Next for Mitchell in 2024?
Brian Baldinger of NFL Network recently broke down Mitchell’s impressive performance in Week 1 against the Packers, highlighting his impressive play on the field.
.@Eagles Quinyon Mitchell with his "Mad Skills" on display. Showed up; Showed out #FlyEaglesFly #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/dfTokuaKw1
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) September 9, 2024
After a successful NFL rookie debut in Week 1, Mitchell is going to be put to the test in the coming weeks. He’ll likely need to defend Drake London, Chris Olave, and Mike Evans at times over Philadelphia’s next three games.
Thanks to his battles with Brown and Smith in practice, Mitchell is certainly prepared for these upcoming matchups. This was evident when Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio named Mitchell as a starter in Week 1, despite being a rookie.
Fangio publicly stated that he prefers to bring rookies along slowly in his defensive scheme, ideally having them focus on one role. Yet Mitchell played both outside cornerback and slot cornerback throughout training camp and preseason action.
Before Isaiah Rodgers Sr. was ruled out ahead of Week 1, Mitchell was expected to slide inside to play slot cornerback in nickel packages. Once Rodgers was ruled out, Avonte Maddox played slot cornerback and Mitchell remained on the outside full-time.
It’s going to be interesting to see what Fangio does once Rodgers returns to action. Maddox struggled at times against the Packers in Week 1 and Mitchell would provide significantly more size and athleticism in the slot.
Regardless of how the Eagles decide to utilize Mitchell in 2024, it’s clear that he’s going to be a foundational piece in Philadelphia’s secondary for the foreseeable future.