Mitchell And DeJean Are The NFLs Best CB Duo

The Eagles' defense is elite. The unit has carried this team to an 11-5 record and has them in position for either the 2 or 3 seed. There is a lot that goes into that 5, from a pass rush that has exploded over the last several weeks, to an amazing LB room, and of course, the man in charge, Vic Fangio. But arguably the biggest reason is the two men who make up the best CB duo in the NFL, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.

That may sound like hyperbole. But the stats back it up. The Eagles' pair of 2nd-year Corners is not only the best CB duo in the NFL, but there is a case to be made that they are the best duo period.

Let's start with how great Mitchell has been. Of the 73 corners who have played 50% of their team's snaps this season, Mitchell is 1st in the league with a rec% of just 42.9. Qbs have thrown Q's way 78 times, and the receiver hauled in a catch just 33 times. None of those catches resulted in a TD.

QBs throwing his way have a QB rating of 55.6. That is the 2nd lowest in the league. WRs on average create just 1.8 yards of separation, which is also the 2nd lowest in the league.

Mitchell has allowed 30 or fewer yards 11 times this season, and 10 or fewer 8 times. He has pitched 3 shutouts (o catches allowed) and allowed just 1 catch 3 times. He has allowed 50 or more yards only twice, and more than 3 catches only 3 times.

Mitchell is the definition of a shutdown corner. Much like Darrelle Revis used to take away a side of the field, Mitchell effectively does the same. People knock him for the lack of interceptions. But if a guy is going to regularly allow 2 or fewer catches, and under 30 yards, who actually cares about picks? That is way more valuable than someone who will pick a ball off every 3rd game but gets beaten in coverage.

DeJean has a different, arguably harder job. Many in Football say slot corner is the hardest position to play, which is saying something since cornerback in general is already harder than any other position. But much like Q has arguably established himself as the premier outside corner, Coop might be the best slot corner in the league.

Of the 17 slot corners to play at least 50% of their team's snaps, DeJean has the lowest QB rating allowed (58.6). He also has the 5th fewest yards allowed.

But that is actually misleading. The 4 players ahead of him all played under 300 snaps in coverage. DeJean is at 404. He is one of only 2 players in the league to play at least 400 snaps in slot coverage. Despite all those snaps, he has still given up fewer yards than almost anybody.

WRs average 0.69 yards per snap when lined up vs Cooper DeJean. As you might guess, that is the lowest number among slot corners. He is 2nd in the league with 12 PBUs, and has 2 picks to go with those PBUs.

But he is also one of the best corners in the league vs the run. DeJean has 18 tackles in the run game and 7 stops. You may recall how he laid out Derek Henry last season. That type of tackle has become a staple of his game. Not just in the run game, but also when defending short passes.

On their own, they are the best at what they do individually. In tandem, there might not be a better duo at any position. How many other teams can throw out two All-Pro Worthy players at one position?

Maybe the Texans with Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson off the Edge? That Texans defense, like the Eagles, is stacked from almost top to bottom. But look around the NFL, and it is hard to find a team with this type of duo at any position.

They play a massive role in why this Eagles defense is so great, and why it was so great last season. Team would move mountains just o obtain one corner like Q or Coop. The Eagles have them both.