Quinyon Mitchell came into the camp and was thrown straight into the fire.
From the start, the rookie corner was given the most difficult coverage tasks between AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, and on top of that, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio had him switch between the outside and nickel positions – each of which requires a different approach.
That’s a lot for any player, especially a rookie. Fangio knows that too.
But Mitchell continues to answer the phone.
“He’s been great from the day we got him,” Fangio said on Sunday. “He works really hard and focuses in meetings, not just on the training field. We’ve imposed a lot on him, (but) he hasn’t let that deter him at all.” He will be a good player in this league.”
Signs of this are already apparent.
The 2024 first-round pick certainly made some mistakes early on – he is still a rookie, after all – but he has already made great progress in the few weeks since training camp began.
In the last week alone, Mitchell stuck to Smith like a limpet in 1-on-1 and 11-on-11 reps, covering one of the best route runners in the entire league and managing to get his hand in the way of several notable pass breakups.
Mitchell accomplished all of this even after skipping a route early in his season debut against Baltimore that nearly resulted in an interception.
He adapts with every snap, every rep, and the two star receivers he’s up against are helping him get better.
“It was good work,” Mitchell said of his reps against Smith after practice on Sunday. “He and AJ have been preparing and preparing me every day. JIt was just exciting to play against him. They are the two best in the game.”
“This is all about competition,” Mitchell later continued. “Along the way, (Smith) kept giving me tips and stuff like that. Last week he gave me a tip and this week I implemented it better. So he was really assessing me and bringing me up to speed on the game.”
As for switching between the outside position and the nickel, Mitchell said Sunday that coaches pointed him to Avonte Maddox, the veteran defensive back who has switched between safety, nickel and corner throughout his career, to learn how to handle and adjust to the differences at each position.
Additionally, Mitchell said his technique has probably improved the most from game to game since arriving at camp in late July.
The 22nd overall pick from Toledo has shown plenty of talent and promise so far in training camp at the NovaCare Complex, but where exactly he will fit on the defensive depth chart in Week 1 is still unclear.
There is a vacancy at CB2 opposite established veteran Darius Slay, but the more experienced Isaiah Rodgers and Kelee Ringo are also in the running for the job and have already worked on their own skills.
Reps at the nickel corner could be another way to get Mitchell on the field immediately, but to fill that role he’ll have to outperform Maddox and fellow rookie DB Cooper DeJean, who just returned from injury, while keeping in mind that the ideal scenario is to push him back out there at some point — whether that’s later this season or next.
But the way his training camp has gone so far, Mitchell is likely to get some real NFL action sooner rather than later.
The Eagles drafted him as their top cornerback of the future and he has already shown signs of being that player.
But if Mitchell is now ready to take the initiative, they will definitely accept it.
MORE: Eagles 2024 Training Camp Battle Tracker
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