NFL analyst predicts Philadelphia Eagles land dynamic defensive playmaker in first round

The Philadelphia Eagles desperately need help in their secondary. This was made painfully obvious last season when the Eagles finished 31st in the NFL in passing defense.

The Eagles signed defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson in free agency to try and shore things up, but they still need more assistance back there.

That’s why Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus has Philadelphia selecting Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell—widely considered the best cornerback in this year’s draft class—with the 22nd overall pick of the NFL Draft.

On paper, Philly’s cornerbacks look fine. The club currently employs Darius Slay and James Bradberry as its top two players at the position, but Bradberry had a subpar campaign in 2023, and Slay is clearly not the same player he was years ago.

Both players are in their 30s, with Slay being 33 and Bradberry turning 31 later this summer.

The Eagles clearly need to address the position, and selecting Mitchell would be a good start. That’s assuming he is actually on the board at No. 22.

Many have Mitchell flying off the board much earlier, so if Philadelphia really wants Mitchell, it may have to trade up for him.

Mitchell is coming off of a 2023 campaign in which he registered 41 tackles, an interception and 18 passes defended.

The 22-year-old arrived at Toledo in 2020 but didn’t really break out until 2022, when he racked up 41 tackles, five picks, 19 passes defended and a couple of defensive touchdowns.

We’ll see if the Eagles are able to land Mitchell next Thursday.