Eagles CB Quinyon Mitchell emerging as league's top rookie

The hottest rookie in the NFL may not be quarterback Jayden Daniels, it could be Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia's best defender and the league's next great cornerback.

Mitchell put on a clinic against Daniels’ Commanders on Thursday night. In a game that seemed more lopsided than its 26-18 final score would suggest, the Eagles first-round pick completely shut down Terry McLaurin, Washington’s leading receiver since 2019.

Per StatMuse, McLaurin has caught 59 passes for 857 yards in 11 career games against Philadelphia, more than any NFL team. You’d never know it by Thursday’s box score. Per NFL.com’s Next Gen Stats, McLaurin drew coverage from Mitchell on 20 of 25 snaps, seeing one target while making no catches.

These are stunning results, but not surprising to anyone who followed Mitchell’s college career. In his time as a Toledo Rocket, he had 124 tackles (93 solo), 45 passes defended and six interceptions, five during an outstanding 2022 season that earned him first-team All-MAC honors.

Of course, the Mid-American Conference isn’t exactly the NFL and even some of Mitchell’s most ardent fans assumed he’d need time to adjust to the pro game. Apparently not, as podcaster Kendall Beck pointed out with this comparison: