The Philadelphia Eagles spent a lot of draft capital to upgrade the secondary, and it is beginning to pay dividends. After the back end of the defense got exposed last season, Howie Roseman knew he had to upgrade the secondary. He did that by spending his first two draft picks on defensive backs Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper Dejean. Both have been huge parts of the Eagles defensive turnaround.
Eagles Young Cornerbacks Breaking Out
Mitchell Becoming CB1
Both Dejean and Mitchell have been getting better as the season has gone. Mitchell has the makings of a future lockdown corner, who is already taking tough assignments. Coming out of Toledo, Mitchell had all the physical tools. He has the ideal size and speed for the position. While he played a lower level of competition, he dominated in the way you would expect. Due to a run on offensive players, Mitchell fell to the Eagles at 22. Given the Eagles aging secondary, Mitchell was a no-brainer. He has hit the ground running in Philadelphia. While he has had some penalty issues and has yet to record an interception, Mitchell has kept plenty of big-name receivers quiet. He has allowed a 71.6 QB rating when targeted, which is elite-level play for a rookie. Mitchell will take the reigns as CB1 from Darius Slay if he has not already.
Dejean Breaking Out
Cooper Dejean was a first-round talent who fell to the second-round due to injury concerns. There were also questions about which position he would play in the NFL. He could play as an outside corner, a slot corner, or a safety. The Eagles decided to make him a slot corner, where he has excelled. Dejean had the best game of his career against the Bengals, where he had to match up with Ja’Marr Chase frequently. He has been excellent ever since taking over the starting job following the bye. The defense has been noticeably better with Dejean in the game.
Out of all corners, Dejean has the second-highest PFF grade at 83.4, with an even more impressive 87.2 coverage grade. Dejean’s physicality and athleticism make him a great fit for the slot corner position. He is also a fantastic punt returner, flashing some of that ability with a nice return against the Bengals. Dejean should be one of the better slot corners in the league going forward. However, he also has the ability to play outside corner if the Eagles want him to.
Long Term Outlook
In one draft, the Eagles found two high-end contributors in the secondary. The back end of the defense has gone from an aging unit to one of the most exciting young groups in the league. Both Dejean and Mitchell have a combination of high floors and high ceilings. At worst, they will be quality starters barring injuries. However, they both have the potential to be some of the best defensive backs in football. After rebuilding the defensive line over the past couple of drafts, Howie Roseman has now rebuilt the secondary. Now with a defense that looks set for the future, Howie Roseman has a lot of flexibility in the drafts to come.
Main Photo: [Robert Deutsch] – USA Today Sports
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