When the Philadelphia Eagles selected cornerback Quinyon Mitchell with the No. 22 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, there were questions about Mitchell’s ability to play at the next level. After spending four years at Toledo, it was fair to wonder if Mitchell could handle the best wide receivers in the NFL.
Yet through the first six regular season games of his NFL career, Mitchell has eased any of those initial concerns. Mitchell has excelled as a starting outside cornerback with the Eagles, while playing 97% of the team’s defensive snaps in 2024.
According to Pro Football Focus, Mitchell has allowed 17 receptions on 31 targets for 238 yards, zero touchdowns, zero interceptions and six pass breakups in 225 coverage snaps. Although Mitchell has failed to haul in his first interception in the NFL, he has made plenty of plays on the ball and it’s only a matter of time before he brings one in.
It’s rare to see a rookie cornerback excel immediately in the NFL, yet that’s exactly what Mitchell has done through the first six regular season games of his career with the Eagles. In order to add context to Mitchell’s impressive start, here is how five of the top cornerbacks in the NFL today performed in their first six career starts in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.
- Patrick Surtain II: 21 receptions on 37 targets for 193 yards, one touchdown, one interception and three pass breakups
- Sauce Gardner: 13 receptions on 30 targets for 135 yards, one touchdown, one interception and seven pass breakups
- Jalen Ramsey: 21 receptions on 34 targets for 243 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions and one pass breakup
- Jaylon Johnson: 20 receptions on 40 targets for 337 yards, one touchdown, zero interceptions and eight pass breakups
- Jaire Alexander: 17 receptions on 35 targets for 218 yards, one touchdown, one interception and six pass breakups
After diving into the first six career starts of the NFL’s top cornerbacks, it’s clear that Mitchell is keeping pace with the elite players at the position in the league today. While Mitchell’s performance is certainly encouraging thus far, it’s safe to admit that he certainly hasn’t faced the toughest competition in 2024.
Can the Eagles’ rookie continue to shine?
That will change in Week 8, as Mitchell and the Eagles are set to visit the Cincinnati Bengals. Although the Bengals are off to a disappointing 3-4 start to the regular season, Cincinnati is still home to one of the most dangerous passing attacks in the NFL today.
Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow is off to a hot start, as he is sixth in passing yards (1,759), third in completion percentage (70.4%) and third in passing touchdowns (14). Burrow has also thrown just two interceptions in seven games in 2024.
Cincinnati’s dominant wide receiver duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins is arguably the best group in the NFL. Chase will provide the Eagles’ rookie with his toughest test in the NFL thus far, as he is second in receiving yards (620) and first in receiving touchdowns (6). If Mitchell wants to be in the discussion as one of the best cornerbacks in the league today, he’ll have to hold his own against Chase in Week 8.
Ironically, Eagles cornerback Darius Slay said Chase reminds him of A.J. Brown, who Mitchell has battled with in practice in Philadelphia.
“He’s not as big as A.J, but A.J. got the same, similar kind of style of just playing like, no matter who’s in front of me, I run my route,” Slay said according to Zach Berman of PHLY.
“I’m not gonna have to change too much of what I do, because I make good catches, I attack the ball, I got great hands. I can run fast. I can run by you. So that’s who he remind me of with the body types and just the ability they got.”
Chase is next in line for Mitchell’s toughest wide receiver matchups during his rookie season in Philadelphia. Through his first six games in the NFL, Mitchell was able to hold his own against Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans and New York Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers.
Mitchell held Evans to just two receptions on four targets for 19 yards in Week 4, according to Pro Football Focus. He then held Nabers to just one reception on two targets for nine yards in Week 7.
The battle between Mitchell and Chase is going to be must-see television in Week 8, as the Eagles’ rookie cornerback will look to stamp his name as one of the best young cornerbacks in the NFL today.
Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
