Vic Fangio reveals eye-opening role for Eagles rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell – NBC Sports Philadelphia

It was a simple question with an even simpler answer.

Ask: “Do you see Quinyon as a guy who will be on the field every game? Is he ready to take on that responsibility?”

Vic Fangio: “Yes and yes.”

The Quinyon Mitchell era begins Friday, with the impressive rookie apparently slated to play the entire game. That likely means he’ll play outside with Darius Slay when the Packers have two receivers, and he’ll play inside in the slot with Isaiah Rodgers taking over outside when they have three.

Eventually, Cooper DeJean, the Eagles’ other rookie defensive back, might be ready to take over the full-time position, allowing Mitchell to focus on outside corner. But after missing most of training camp, DeJean isn’t ready yet.

The Eagles are asking a lot of Mitchell, but they wouldn’t do it if they didn’t believe he was ready.

“Is he ready?” Darius Slay said, repeating a question.Is he ready? He has been ready since birth.”

Fangio said he noticed early on that Mitchell had the rare qualities that allowed him to learn both the outside corner and the slot as a freshman. Mitchell didn’t play the slot at Toledo, so the coaches let him play inside as much as possible because they knew he was good outside. That also allowed Rodgers and Kelee Ringo to line up outside as much as possible.

“(We knew) pretty quickly because we started him out as a nickel and he did well there,” Fangio said. “I think for him personally, it would be good to secure a spot because while we’re very happy with his development and his ability to learn, he’s still a rookie and I think if he can get comfortable in one spot, that would be to his advantage. But we may not be able to do that.”

Mitchell will make his NFL debut against a quarterback, Jordan Love, who finished last year with 18 touchdowns and an interception in his final eight games and had an offense that averaged just under 30 points per game over the final two months of the 2023 season.

He’ll play in front of a bigger crowd than ever before (last year Toledo averaged less than 20,000 fans per game) and he’ll be on national television. Or probably even international television.

It’s a great way to start your NFL career, but if you’re nervous, you don’t let it show.

“When I go out there, I just play calm and controlled and just do my thing,” he said in his locker before practice on Monday. “I feel really ready. I feel like I’m preparing myself and coach is preparing me, so I feel really good.”

It’s been 12 years since a rookie started a game on defense for the Eagles – Brandon Boykin and Mychal Kendricks against the Browns in the 2012 opener in Cleveland. Boykin was the nickel, and Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie started on the outside. The last Eagles rookie to start as an outside corner rather than the slot was Eric Allen in the 1988 opener in Tampa.

Others since the merger have included Ray Jones in 1970, Joe Lavender in 1973, Herm Edwards in 1977 and Roynell Young in 1980.

“I’m just ready to go, you know, I’m really excited for my teammates and I to go out there and perform,” Mitchell said. “I’ve worked hard and now I’ve got to keep pushing.”

The fact that a team with Super Bowl ambitions apparently puts a rookie cornerback in the starting lineup speaks volumes about what the Eagles think of Mitchell.

But he’s done everything you could hope for since he’s been here. He’s asked all the right questions, studied film with Slay and the other experienced defensive backs, and coached at a very high level.

He’s going to get beat. He’s going to have plays he wants back. It’s not going to be 100 percent positive. But the Eagles are confident they made the right choice, and on Friday the world will get its first look at Mitchell.

“He’s been great from the start,” Fangio said. “He works really hard. He’s focused in meetings, not just on the training field. We’ve asked a lot of him, like I said. He hasn’t let that deter him in the slightest. He’s going to be a good player in this league.”