Draft Breaks Perfectly For The Eagles, Letting Quinyon Mitchell Fall To 22

Author and Dylan MacKinnon

April 25th 11:34 PM

Well that couldn’t have gone better for the Eagles. We assumed for the Eagles to land someone like Quinyon Mitchell, they would have to trade up. Turns out all they had to do was be patient, and let him fall right into their laps.

You got the sense early on things were breaking their way. Offensive player after offensive player came off the board, including 6 QBs in the first 12 picks. A defensive player didn’t come off the board until pick 15. And it was about that time you got the sense things were breaking perfectly for the Eagles.

Pick after pick, and both Quinyon Mitchell and Terrion Arnold remained on the board. Before you knew it, it was pick 22, and both guys were there for them to pick between. They chose to go with the blazing speedster in Quinyon Mitchell.

Eagles Get Their Speedy Corner in Quinyon Mitchell

Mitchell is fast. Not just normal fast, but among the fastest players in the league. At the combine, he ran a 4.33 40.

More Than Just Elite Speed

But he is more than just a fast 40-time. Mitchell gave up 0 TDs in 2o23. QBs throwing his way completed only 43.5% of their passes. And well his interceptions fell off last year, he got 3 picks in 2022.

He is versatile too. Scouts believe he can play zone and man at an elite level.

Howie Breaks 20-Year Trend

The last time the Eagles took a corner in the 1st round was in 2002 with Lito Shepard. The last time they spent a day 1 or 2 pick on one was Sidney Jones in 2017. But Quinyon Mitchell was too good to pass up.

Howie might have wanted an OT in this draft first. We will never know. But OTs went flying off the board. Letting the corners fall right into his lap. Mitchell doesn’t only address their biggest need, he was the best player available. The best of both worlds for the Eagles.

It was the perfect result for the Eagles. Howie deserves credit for staying patient and getting a guy many people thought they would have no chance at, or would have to give up significant assets to trade up for.

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5 Things To Know About Quinyon Mitchell- Eagles Prospect Preview

• The Fastest Kid Alive

  The first thing that stands out about Mitchell is his speed. He caught a lot of people’s attention with his 4.33 40 time at the combine. Only Nate Wiggins had a faster 40 among corners. Mitchell also posted a 38” Vertical, and a Broad Jump of 10-2.

  But he is not just fast when running in shorts with no pads. His top speed in a game last season topped out at a whopping 23.58. That is the same top speed as Tyreek Hill.

  Speed is something the Eagles have sorely lacked in their secondary. Especially last season. But Mitchell has more than enough speed. Production aside, you can know for sure you are getting an elite athlete if you select Mitchell.

  NFL on Twitter: "4.33u ‼️@ToledoFB DB Quinyon Mitchell was FLYING.📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/We7EdoMm5s / Twitter"

  4.33u ‼️@ToledoFB DB Quinyon Mitchell was FLYING.📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/We7EdoMm5s

• Showed Out At The Senior Bowl

  To be honest, he was turning heads even before the combine. It was the Senior Bowl when his name first started to pop on people’s radar as a potential riser in the draft.

  He won rep after rep. Being athletic is one thing, knowing how to use your athleticism effectivly on the Football field is another. And scouts said that at the Senior Bowl, Mithcell looked natural in both man and zone coverage.

  One rep in particular showed how he can use his speed in real situations. He started froma trail position vs USC WR Brendan Rice. But he effortlessly closed the gap, to pull down an interception in the red zone. That is the difference speed can make. It shows that even if he does make a mistake, he has the speed to make up for it.

  Below Daniel Jeremiah breaks down another impressive rep, that demonstrates Mitchell is more than just a speedster.

  Daniel Jeremiah on Twitter: "Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell is the best defensive player at Senior Bowl & this is the best rep of the week! pic.twitter.com/SOBJeZGLlH / Twitter"

  Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell is the best defensive player at Senior Bowl & this is the best rep of the week! pic.twitter.com/SOBJeZGLlH

• Elite Production in College

  But what does this all mean in game? You can be a tremendous athlete, and then have no chance on the field. Luckily, he has the numbers to back it up.

  Last season he held opposing QBs to a Passer Rating of 51.1. In 2022 that number was 34.8. He also had 38 pass breakups between those two seasons. His 18 this past season was the second most in the nation.

  The interceptions did fall in 2023. After pulling in 5 in 2022, 2 of which he returned for a TD, he had only 1 last season. Part of that was him dropping 3. Something he still has not let himself live down. But those mistakes aside, he has the makeup of a elite playmaker at the next level. Just look to his 2022 season for proof of that.

  #MACtion on Twitter: ""Catch it like a cornerback, that's an interception (x2)" - B.o.B & @quinbangout14 @ToledoFB | #MACtion pic.twitter.com/mZhIljujrL / Twitter"

  "Catch it like a cornerback, that's an interception (x2)" - B.o.B & @quinbangout14 @ToledoFB | #MACtion pic.twitter.com/mZhIljujrL

• Should We Be Concerned About Him Being From Toledo?

  One knock may be the competition he played against at Toledo. The Mid-American Conference is not exactly a powerhouse. And you aren’t facing many NFL-caliber WRs there.

  It begs the questions, are CBs from more notable conferences like the BIG 10 and the SEC better in the NFL? Historically, there is some evidence of that. Recently there has been a shift in the wind though.

  Christian Gonzalez had a similar knock on him last season coming out of the Pac 12. It is only 1 year, but he was incredibly impressive his rookie season. Similarly Sauce Gardner out of the AAC turned into one of the bets CBs in the league.

  You can gauge someone’s talent and ability even if their competition is wanting. And if the only knock on a guy is that he is so much better than his competition, it is not the worst thing.

  SportsCenter on Twitter: "Christian Gonzalez with his FIRST career INT 😤👏(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/pqRDlYbPN5 / Twitter"

  Christian Gonzalez with his FIRST career INT 😤👏(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/pqRDlYbPN5

• Stayed Loyal To Toledo

  NIL and the Transfer Portal have turned College Athletics on its head. Players have rightfully used it to their advantage, earning themselves more money and getting themselves into better situations. I have no problem with anyone doing that.

  But it is not the route Mitchell took. Mitchell stayed at Toledo. Even after his amazing 2022 season, when he had a chance to go anywhere he wanted, he stayed at Toledo. And when asked why at the NFL Combine, he cited how important loyalty is to him.

  “Everybody went away, Toledo stayed loyal so I stayed loyal to them.” Mitchell said. “I stay loyal to those who stay loyal to me.”

  That is certainly a desirable trait with anyone you go into business with. And even if none of the players who did move did anything wrong, the fact Mitchell stayed, makes him stick out among the pack.

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Author and Dylan MacKinnon

Category:

• Eagles // NFL

Tags:

Cornerback,NFL Draft,Philadelphia Eagles