Quinyon Mitchell best defensive Eagles' rookie ever? Didinger says 'maybe'
Joe DeCamara asked Ray Didinger if Quinyon Mitchell is the best Eagles' rookie that he's ever seen (excluding Reggie White, who began his career playing in the USFL).
"Hmm, that's a good question. I don't know. I'm going through my mental rolodex here and trying to think. On that side of the ball, I mean yeah maybe," the Hall Of Fame analyst admitted on Friday's 94WIP Morning Show."
Didinger mentioned Roynell Young and Eric Allen as other incredible Eagles' defensive rookies.
"He's just a baller," Didinger said of Mitchell. "Listen, I'm putting him in the same breath as Eric Allen, who in my view is a Hall of Famer so that's pretty good."
Mitchell, 23, was the Eagles' 22nd overall pick in the NFL Draft out of Toledo and has dazzled through his first 10 NFL games.
Here's a list of the elite NFL receivers Mitchell has faced this season and their production against when lined up against the Eagles' rookie (per @KBeckEagles on X):
Drake London: 1 catch, 5 yards
Chris Olave: 2 catches, 23 yards
Mike Evans: 2 catches, 19 yards
Amari Cooper: 1 catch, 10 yards
Malik Nabers; 1 catch, 9 yards
Ja'Marr Chase: 2 catches, 19 yards
CeeDee Lamb: 1 catch, 5 yards
Terry McLaurin: 0 catches
McLaurin was held to 1 total catch and 2 targets in Thursday night's Eagles' win over the Commanders. According to Next Gen Stats, "Quinyon Mitchell aligned across from Terry McLaurin on 20 of 25 routes (80%), including 19 of 20 aligned wide (95%). Mitchell was not targeted on any of his coverage snaps against McLaurin and was targeted just once all night (0 receptions allowed)."
"Week after week and he's drawing big time receivers," Didinger said. "Terry McLaurin was invisible when he was on Quinyon Mitchell's side of the field. If you have a rookie that is playing on that level, you really got something."
Seth Joyner joined the 94WIP Morning Show after Didinger during his weekly day-after one hour in-studio visit and called Mitchell one of the top three cornerbacks in the entire NFL.
Mitchell is now the second favorite to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year at 4-1, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
