Eagles’ Quinyon Mitchell making a strong case for defensive rookie of the year: ‘He’s living up to the hype’

Going into the season, Quinyon Mitchell set his sights on achieving something greater than an individual accolade like defensive rookie of the year.

“Just winning a Super Bowl,” the rookie cornerback explained Wednesday.

Fifteen weeks later, though, Mitchell has asserted himself as one of the front-runners for the award alongside Los Angeles Rams defensive end Jared Verse. The Eagles’ No. 22 overall pick out of Toledo has conceded just .70 yards per coverage snap (fifth-fewest among cornerbacks with a minimum of 500), according to Pro Football Focus. Mitchell ranks second in the NFL with 14 forced incompletions.

All the rookie is missing from his resumé is an interception. Mitchell laughed when asked if that deficiency could impact how voters might view his season.

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“We’ll just see where the chips fall,” Mitchell said.

Regardless, with plenty of meaningful games left between the regular season and the playoffs, Mitchell isn’t absorbed in the buzz surrounding him. Instead, he’s focused on the Eagles’ opponent on Sunday, the Washington Commanders, and a familiar face in Terry McLaurin.

Mitchell had his coming out party in Week 11 the last time he took on the division rival. The rookie cornerback aligned opposite McLaurin, the Commanders’ top receiver, on 20 of 25 routes ( in the Eagles’ 26-18 victory, according to Next Gen Stats. Mitchell was not targeted on any of those snaps and was targeted only once all night. He did not allow a reception.

McLaurin finished the game with one reception for 10 yards, his season-low output. Mitchell didn’t have any secrets that set him up for a lockdown performance against a player that ranks No. 7 in receiving yards this season (969) entering Thursday night.

“I was just sticking to the game plan,” Mitchell said. “Knowing where my help was at and just competing.”

This week, Mitchell and the Eagles defense are poring over game film to see where they can improve and how the Commanders might attack them differently in their second meeting. Mitchell expressed an understanding of the challenge that McLaurin will continue to present, calling the six-year veteran “fast” and “smart,” all while boasting good hands.

With every game that has passed since Week 11, McLaurin has been more involved in the Commanders’ passing offense. After a season-low 8.0% target rate against the Eagles, McLaurin has been targeted on a higher percentage of his routes in each successive week, per Next Gen Stats.

He had one of his best performances of the season immediately after facing the Eagles, racking up 102 yards and a touchdown on five receptions against the Dallas Cowboys. His 86-yard touchdown reception with 33 seconds left in the game was part of a Commanders rally that ultimately fell short in their 34-26 loss.

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“He’s got the ability to make a play at any given time, man,” Darius Slay said. “So me and Q for sure know we’ve got to stay on our toes, because he’s one of the top guys in this league. So we’ve got to make sure we’re ready to go at all times.

“He ain’t get no targets the last time we played,” Slay said, “so I know for sure in their meetings, they’re telling him, like, ‘Hey, we’re getting you the ball. We need you to get the ball.’”

Despite Mitchell’s sound performance against McLaurin in that last meeting, he hesitated to label any of his outings this season as his best. He conceded that there is always one or two plays where he could improve his technique. Overall, he called his season so far “OK.”

Slay, however, called his teammate’s rookie year anything but just OK.

“He’s playing smart, fast, physical,” Slay said. “He’s just getting after people, man. He’s just playing his side. Doing his thing.

“You’ve got to be excited for stuff like this, for a guy like him, man. Guy comes from a small school, Toledo, got a lot of hunger on him. So he’s living up to the hype.”

Cooper DeJean also wasn’t afraid to shower praise on his draft classmate. The second-round slot cornerback out of Iowa has been an advocate for Mitchell to win defensive rookie of the year.

“I don’t know if there’s been a better rookie in a long time who’s doing what he’s done,” DeJean said. “He’s going up against the guys that he’s going up against and holding them to limited yards and catches. So if you look at the stats and even turn on the tape, the proof’s there.”

It doesn’t matter if the praise is coming from the outside or among his own teammates. The rookie cornerback is focused on the next game at hand.

“I’ve just got tunnel vision,” Mitchell said. “Try not to pay it any mind. I just don’t pay attention to it.”