Quinyon Mitchell Electrifies Eagles Fans at No. 22, 'Heist of the' 2024 NFL Draft
Timothy Rapp@@TRappaRT
Featured Columnist IVApril 26, 2024
The Philadelphia Eagles came into the first round of the 2024 NFL draft with a huge need at cornerback after having one of the worst pass defenses in football last season.
They addressed it in a big way, staying put at No. 22 and selecting Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
That had Eagles fans absolutely thrilled after the selection:
James Palmer @JamesPalmerTVThe <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/eagles?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#eagles</a> thought Mitchell was the top CB in the draft. He's the most complete and proved that at the Senior Bowl. Nate Wiggins is the most talented, but Mitchell the best overall prospect. <a href="https://t.co/cfJEpuZWry">https://t.co/cfJEpuZWry</a>
The Eagles were 31st in both passing yards allowed last season (252.7 YPG) and passing touchdowns (35). It was bad.
Compounding matters, top cornerback Darius Slay is 33 years old and arguably past his prime, while James Bradberry is 30 and coming off a very rough season. The team also has Avonte Maddox available, though he's injury-prone and only really effective in the slot, and a number of far less proven options.
So yes, the Birds had to address cornerback, and the draft board fell nicely for them to do so in the first round. Mitchell was the top cornerback on the B/R NFL Scouting Department's final big board and its No. 10 prospect available overall. Again, the Eagles got him at No. 22—sure seems like a potential steal.
Upgrading on the defensive side of the ball will probably be a priority on the second and third days at the draft for Philly, too. The team added C.J. Gardner-Johnson at safety in free agency, though the other safety spot remains a bit of a question mark, as neither Reed Blankenship or Sydney Brown played particularly well in 2023.
The team also added some help at linebacker in free agency, highlighted by Devin White, but adding more depth and competition at the position would be logical. And general manager Howie Roseman always prioritizes the trenches on both sides of the ball, so adding depth up the middle or off the edge is a possibility.
Regardless of how the Eagles handle the rest of the draft, a huge need was addressed on Thursday night. If Mitchell ends up being as good as expected, it's hard to imagine any team having a better offseason than Philly.
Remember, the Birds added Saquon Barkley, Bryce Huff, White, Gardner-Johnson and more, along with agreeing to extensions with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Landon Dickerson and Jake Elliott. Yes, they lost Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox to retirement, but the Eagles loaded up this offseason.
And now they are getting value at the draft, too. It's Howie SZN.