Eagles rookie CBs Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean getting better acquainted during minicamp

The night before their first on-field practice of Eagles rookie minicamp, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean got a crash course in the magnitude of Philly sports.

Mitchell, the Eagles’ No. 22 overall pick in this year’s draft, and DeJean, their No. 40 overall pick, attended the Sixers’ Game 6 matchup against the New York Knicks on Thursday night. Even though the Sixers lost and dropped the series, both cornerbacks concurred that the atmosphere at the Wells Fargo Center was “crazy.”

“Those fans were wild,” DeJean said Friday after practice. “Obviously, they didn’t get the win, but it was a cool atmosphere. To kind of get to see that firsthand, the Philly fans.”

The company was pretty good, too. Mitchell and DeJean first became acquainted with each other during the predraft process. Mitchell said he had watched DeJean’s film at Iowa — “I knew he was a baller,” Mitchell said — and was familiar with his versatility at outside cornerback, in the slot, and as a safety.

When the Eagles selected Mitchell in the first round, DeJean sent him a text message to extend his congratulations. One day later, the two became teammates. Now that they’re on Philly soil together for the first time, they’re making an effort to get to know each other better, on and off the field.

“We’ve been working on our relationship since the day we both came in here,” Mitchell said. “Went to the Sixers game last night, kind of hung out together, and we’re just creating that bond. He’s a great dude, great teammate, and a great player.”

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The cornerbacks got their first experience playing together in Eagles uniforms on Friday. Coach Nick Sirianni emphasized that the coaches try not to overwhelm the rookies during this period of the offseason, especially because they aren’t in football shape after training for the combine and their pro days.

Still, the Eagles are beginning to evaluate their rookies and get a sense of what they can do. DeJean, who is coming off of a right leg injury that ended his 2023 season prematurely, said that “it felt great” to be back on the football field. He added that he worked “everywhere” in practice, not just one position. The Eagles drafted him as a cornerback, but his abilities, regardless of alignment, are apparent to the organization.

“Cooper has obviously versatility,” Sirianni said. “Quinyon has big-play ability. They both have big-play ability. Obviously, we’re not to a point where this guy’s playing here or that guy’s playing here or this guy’s limited to just this. We’re just out there right now getting some reps out there and seeing where they fit.”

For now, Mitchell and DeJean are enjoying their initial interactions with their new coaches and fellow rookies. Later this month, organized team activities will begin, giving them the opportunity to learn from veteran cornerbacks, including Darius Slay.

During the predraft process, Mitchell said he modeled his game after Slay, the 11-year veteran with six Pro Bowl nods and one All-Pro distinction to his name. When Howie Roseman spoke to Mitchell immediately after they drafted him via video call, the general manager (perhaps jokingly) told Mitchell that he wants him to live next to Slay when he moves to Philly.

“If he wants me to move in, I’ll move in,” Mitchell said. “So he’s just got to let me know.”

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Regardless of whether he becomes neighbors or housemates with Slay, Mitchell said he and DeJean are looking forward to learning from all of their established teammates.

“Just all those guys, just picking their brains and stuff like that,” Mitchell said. “We’ve got a veteran room, so I’m sure me and Coop [are] gonna be asking them questions and stuff like that. So I feel like it’s a great opportunity.”

Johnny Wilson, the Eagles’ sixth-round pick out of Florida State, became the first member of the 2024 draft class to sign their four-year rookie contract on Friday.

The 6-foot-6, 231-pound receiver towered over his peers on the NovaCare Complex practice field, which isn’t exactly new for Wilson. Even though offensive players of his size typically play tight end, Wilson reiterated that he’s a receiver. He said that he hasn’t had any conversations with the Eagles about switching positions.

“Being this size and being able to do some of the things I can do in my body and getting in and out of my breaks and just having super long arms, sometimes it’s an advantage, especially to a lot of smaller corners and smaller defenders,” Wilson said. “I’ve just over the years, just try to do a lot of training using my body to my advantage.”

Even though there aren’t many current NFL receivers that tall, Wilson said he still had a number of role models. The list includes the 6-foot-8 Harold Carmichael, who played for the Eagles from 1971 to 1983 and is in the Eagles Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Wilson also admired former Eagles receivers Alshon Jeffery (6-3) and DeSean Jackson (5-10).

Now, Wilson has some new teammates to look up to — figuratively, not literally — such as Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown.

“After I got drafted, [Hurts] reached out to me that same day,” Wilson said. “Wanted to congratulate me. A.J. reached out to me, too. It’s like the same thing. Everyone was just like, ‘Let’s get to work. When you get here, it’s work.’ So I commend Jalen. Playing quarterback is hard. And he does it at a very high level. He’s very good at his job. So I’m excited to get out there with him.”