Expectations for Quinyon Mitchell are high this season, and rightfully so. He was the Eagles’ first-round pick at No. 22 overall and the first cornerback off the board last April, ahead of other first-round picks Terrion Arnold and Nate Wiggins. He was also the first cornerback the Eagles took in the first round since Lito Sheppard 22 years earlier.
That in itself is a high bar after Sheppard made 18 career interceptions in seven seasons with the Eagles and was tice named to the Pro Bowl and, in his third season, as an AP first-team All-Pro.
Initiation into the NFL is hard enough without having all that extra stuff heaped on. As Darius Slay pointed out, his rookie season was a struggle.
“The toughest thing I think for a rookie is just to have fun, don't take it too personally,” said Slay. “People like take it too personally at a young age because they are high draft picks and there's a lot of pressure on them. I tell them just play ball.
“I wasn't 'Big Play Slay' my rookie year as everybody wanted me to be. I got benched twice. It happens. They have to keep playing with confidence, keep playing with swag. Let their talent shine and blossom out, like mine.”
Slay didn’t have any interceptions his rookie season. That was the only season of the 11 he has played that he didn’t pick at least one. He enters his 12th season with 28 in his career.
The NFL is typically a marathon for first-round picks because they are usually given every chance to figure things out, though that wasn’t the case for two current Eagles – quarterback Kenny Pickett and, after Thursday’s trade, receiver Jahan Dotson. Both of them were first-round picks in 2022, with Dotson going 16 overall to the Commanders and, four picks later, Pickett going to the Steelers.
The Eagles have more patience with first-round picks than some other teams. General manager Howie Roseman has talked about how unfair it is to take a player in his young 20s and expect greatness immediately. They need good coaching to be developed, so patience is key.
Even Marcus Smith lasted three years with the Eagles after surprisingly being taken 26th overall in 2014.
There are exceptions to every rule, though. Jalen Reagor was traded after two seasons with the Eagles despite being picked 21 overall in 2020, which was how long Danny Watkins lasted despite being taken 23rd in 2011. Meanwhile, DeVonta Smith and Jalen Carter burst onto the scene as rookies with instant success.
Jordan Davis is in Year 3 of his still-developing career, but there’s no question this is a big season for him. Davis knows Brandon Graham’s story well after BG was given up as a bust after his first two seasons with the Eagles after being taken 13th overall in 2010. It wasn’t until his third year, when he collected 5.5 sacks that he began shedding the bust label.
"Perseverance,” said Davis when asked how much of Graham’s story he relates to. “As you can see, he's like a Philly legend now. It's just inspirational...as long as you work hard, it will take care of itself. One thing I learned from BG is that he just works. He puts his head down and works.”
That’s what Mitchell will have to do as he wrestles with expectations.
A good sign is that the game doesn’t seem too big for him. Not after being moved to the slot in spring despite never having played the position in his time at Toledo and he has adjusted well to being inside.
“Whenever you see guys have good spatial awareness, splits, and awareness of things around them from an offensive and defensive perspective, you try him in there to see if it works,” said DB coach Christian Parker. “And it has. We kind of had that thought in the spring, and kind of went full throttle with it in training camp.”
Mitchell’s NFL education has good teachers. In addition to his coaches, he also has receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith that he has to defend, and he has probably done better than some may have thought doing that.
"I feel like I've grown every day,” said Mitchell. “You know just asking questions and getting acclimated to speed and stuff like that. I feel like it's been a good process. Just learning every position, just know I'm out there and stuff like that. I feel really good about it. I feel I've done a good job.”
On-field stuff may seem easy, though, when it comes to handling the pressure of being a first-round pick.
