The Philadelphia Eagles might've thought they hit the jackpot Thursday night with the way the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft unfolded. Sitting at pick No. 22, it was widely expected that the Eagles would try to move up to secure a top-end defensive talent.
Philly stayed patient though and it paid off as it had its selection of the best cornerbacks in the draft and went with Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell with the 22nd overall pick.
Mitchell was a projected first-round pick across most mock drafts and was expected to go higher. The run of offense early in the draft allowed plenty of teams in the backend of the first round to get some value picks, including Philly with Mitchell.
Still, some are not thrilled with the pick as Mitchell did not attend a Power 5 school to play college football, electing to stay at Toledo all four years. Coaches in the top conferences knew about Mitchell and kept an eye on him, including legendary Alabama head coach Nick Saban.
Now retired, Saban was on the desk as part of ABC's coverage of the draft on Thursday and said he tried to lure Mitchell to Bama before the 2023 season.
“He was our No. 1 guy in the portal last year to try to get him to come out of the portal, and he would never get in the portal,” Saban said, per Mike Rodak.
Fans on X were quick to accuse Saban of tampering, but regardless of any rules broken or possible sanctions that will likely never come, Saban's comments should be a breath of fresh air for Eagles fans.
Not only was Mitchell recruited by a top school, perhaps THE top school, but he stayed loyal and decided to stick with the program that got him there.
Quinyon Mitchell a perfect match for the Eagles
It's not every year a team can sit back and wait for a player at a position of need to fall to them. The Eagles were rewarded for their patience and got arguably the best player available at the time, one who fits the scheme fairly well.
Mitchell primarily played zone in college but has the speed and pedigree to excel in one-on-one coverage. It's unclear what Philly's immediate plans are with Mitchell, but he will surely get ample playing time as a rookie after the Eagles secondary was burned last season.
The Eagles allowed the second-most passing yards in 2023 and opposing teams will probably try to exploit that again in 2024. Bringing Mitchell into the fold gives Philly both depth and speed on the outside of the defense, which should curtail giving up big plays.
Mitchell's numbers speak for themselves. He did not allow a touchdown on over 400 coverage snaps last season and was tied for the FBS lead with 15 pass breakups, per ESPN Stats & Info. He totaled 52 pass breakups throughout his college career and intercepted six passes over his last two seasons.
The Eagles landed themselves a player with a chip on his shoulder and one who's out to prove people wrong. Mitchell spoke strongly about the disrespect that Group of 5 players get compared to those coming from Power 5 schools. If he can translate his success story into a solid NFL career, perhaps that will prompt more college players to stick to their roots and try to bring more lesser-known schools into the national spotlight.
It has to happen on the field though for Quinyon Mitchell. He arguably has the perfect environment to make that a reality in Philadelphia.
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