Vic Fangio reveals surprising role for Eagles rookie Quinyon Mitchell – NBC Sports Philadelphia

It was a simple question with an even simpler answer.

Question: “Do you think Quinyon will be on the pitch for every action? Is he ready to shoulder that responsibility?”

Vic Fangio: “Either way.”

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

There may come a time when the Eagles’ other prized rookie, Cooper DeJean, is ready to step into a permanent role, which would allow Mitchell to focus on the outside cornerback spot. But after missing most of training camp, DeJean isn’t ready for that yet.

The Eagles expect a lot from Mitchell, but they wouldn’t do so if they weren’t convinced he was ready.

“Is he ready?” Darius Slay repeated the question.Is it ready? He was ready from the moment he was born.

Fangio said he could tell early on that Mitchell had the rare traits to learn both the outside corner and slot positions as a rookie. Mitchell didn’t play either slot at Toledo, so the coaches gave him as much work inside as possible because they knew he was OK outside. That also allowed Rodgers and Kelee Ringo to compete outside as much as possible.

“(We knew) pretty quickly because we played him at nickel early on and he did well there,” Fangio said. “I think it would be good for him personally to lock himself into one spot because while we’ve been very happy with his development and his ability to learn, he’s still a rookie and I think if he gets comfortable in one spot, it’ll be good for him. But we might not be able to do that.”

Mitchell will make his NFL debut against quarterback Jordan Love, who threw 18 touchdowns and one interception in his final eight games last year and whose offense averaged just under 30 points per game in the final two months of the 2023 season.

He will play in front of a larger crowd than ever before — Toledo averaged fewer than 20,000 fans per game last year — and he will play on national television. Or possibly international television.

It’s a hell of a way to start an NFL career. But if there are any nerves, they don’t show.

“When I go out there, I just play calmly, control the situation and do my thing,” he said at his locker before Monday’s practice. “I feel really ready. I feel like I’m getting ready and coach is getting me ready, so I feel really good.”

It’s been 12 years since a rookie started on defense for the Eagles — Brandon Boykin and Mychal Kendricks started against the Browns in the 2012 opener in Cleveland. Boykin was the nickel, and Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie started at outside linebacker. The last Eagles rookie to start at outside cornerback instead of in the slot was Eric Allen in the 1988 opener in Tampa.

After the merger, they were joined by 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, really excited for me and my teammates to get out there and just perform,” Mitchell said. “I’ve been working hard and I’ve got to keep my foot on the gas pedal.”

The fact that a team with Super Bowl aspirations would field a rookie wide receiver says a lot about how the Eagles feel about Mitchell.

But he’s done everything you could have expected since he’s been here. He’s asked all the right questions, he’s studied film with Slay and other veteran defenders, he’s trained at a very high level.

He’ll get a beating. He’ll have plays he’ll want back. It won’t be a 100 percent certainty. But the Eagles are confident they got it right, and Friday will be the first time the world sees Mitchell.

“He’s been great since the day we got him,” Fangio said. “He works really hard. He’s focused on the games, not just on the practice field. Like I said, we put a lot into his head. He hasn’t backed down from that at all. He’s going to be a good player in this league.”