It’s too early to tell whether or not Quinion Mitchell or Cooper Dejean will become stars in the NFL. This book has not been written yet.
But at least page 1 is out of the way.
Mitchell, Dejean and the rest of the Eagles’ 2024 class took to the field Friday afternoon for the start of rookie minicamp. In the case of Mitchell and Dejean, it was the first step in what the Eagles hope will be a long career and a glimpse into the franchise’s future secondary.
“It was good to be back on a team, put the helmet and cleats on and move with the guys,” Mitchell said. “I mean I felt really good today and I felt like it was a good day for everyone overall.”
The Eagles made nine picks last weekend, but this class will likely be driven by the success or failure of their top two picks: Mitchell at 22nd and Dejean at 40th. If all goes well, these two will be mainstays of the Eagles’ secondary for years to come. .
It’s very difficult to know if it will work out right now, but the Eagles’ first-round pick made a good first impression on Friday.
“We had limited reps today,” head coach Nick Sirianni said. “I saw him going through drills. I saw the burst and speed that we saw on tape that shows why we drafted him in the first round. He made some great plays on the ball today at 7-on-7 speed.
“And I’m so excited to see him out there on the court and competing. Again, limited reps today, but you saw the speed, the burst, the acceleration.
For Dejean, Friday was the day he had been waiting for for a while. His final season at Iowa was cut short due to a broken fibula, which also kept him from competing at the combine and at Iowa’s pro day.
Between the injury and the pre-draft process, DeJean couldn’t wait to get back to playing football with his teammates.
How have the last few months been?
“Long,” Dejean said, smiling. “It seems like it’s been a long time. Especially after the injury and having to go through rehab and the whole pre-season process where you’re not really playing football, you’re not really playing with 10 other players on the field. It’s good to get back out there, play team football against the attack, and have a look.” On it kind of just feeling things again.
While Mitchell clearly projects to be an outside cornerback in the NFL, DeJean’s position is a little more in question, partly because of his versatility and partly because Philly’s outside cornerback spots appear to be full.
But the Eagles plan to take advantage of DeJean’s versatility and he said that in his first practice with the team, he was already playing all three positions in the secondary.
“I was working all over the place today,” Dejean said. “Just moving around and learning about things.”
Mitchell and Degen got to know each other a little in the pre-draft process, so when Mitchell went 22nd overall to the Eagles, Degen sent him a congratulatory text. At the time, Dejean didn’t know that he would be joining him the next night.
Now that they’re teammates, Mitchell and Dejean are strengthening that bond under a head coach who emphasizes communication more than anyone else.
“We’re just creating that bond,” Mitchell said. “He’s a great man, a great teammate and a great player.”
Thursday night, the duo went to watch the 76ers host the Knicks at the Wells Fargo Center in an Eastern Conference playoff game. That trip served two purposes: first, to spend time together. Second, they got to see the atmosphere of the playoffs in front of the Philly fans.
The Sixers clearly didn’t do their part, but it was still a fun outing.
Mitchell and Dejean were already on the same page about what they saw Thursday night, too:
“It was crazy. Those fans were brutal. Obviously we didn’t get the win but it was great to see the Philadelphia fans live,” Degen said.
“It was crazy. Great atmosphere, great crowd, there was great energy in that building last night,” Mitchell said.
Just wait until they see Link.
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