This board fell perfectly for Philadelphia to address one of the Eagles’ major needs.

Never say never when it comes to the NFL Draft.

Last year at this time, the idea that the Philadelphia Eagles could land both Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith in the first round seemed like fan fiction.

And so let’s not rule out the possibility that Toledo Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell could fall to the Birds at the No. 22 overall pick.

Unlikely? Sure. Impossible? Not quite, especially in a scenario where he drops to within reasonable range of trading up.

In the case of the annual SB Nation NFL writers mock draft, everyone messed up and let Mitchell fall to Philly.

THE FIT

The Eagles have an obvious need at cornerback.

James Bradberry is currently still on the roster, despite expectations that he could be designated as a post-June 1 cut. Just because he’s still around doesn’t mean the Eagles won’t move on from him before Week 1. Mitchell can come in and compete with the likes of Bradberry, Kelee Ringo, and Eli Ricks for the starting cornerback job across from Darius Slay.

Even if Mitchell doesn’t start right away, he projects as a top backup option and a successor on the outside. He could also see some snaps at nickel cornerback considering he has experience in that role.

BALL PRODUCTION

Quite simply, Mitchell gets his hands on the football.

He logged five interceptions in 2022 before adding another in 2023. Mitchell also produced 37 passes defensed over the past two years, which is a crazy number.

Some have raised concerns about level of competition since Mitchell played in the MAC. And that might be a legitimate hang up for Howie Roseman. But the Eagles love themselves Senior Bowl standouts and, by all indications, Mitchell shined against college football’s top players in Mobile, Alabama.

SCOUTING REPORT

Via NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:

Mitchell possesses a gumbo of traits, with size, strength and speed filling up the pot. He’s built like a running back, tackles like a safety and has the ball skills of a cornerback. Mitchell can play in a variety of coverages and was the clear-cut top cornerback at the Senior Bowl when working against the top receivers in practice. While he needs to trace a more efficient path when hounding the route, his burst to close and physicality at the catch point could create tougher throwing windows for quarterbacks. Mitchell’s traits, play demeanor and special-teams potential should make him attractive to teams in the market for CB help.

ATHLETIC TESTING

Mitchell dazzled at the NFL Combine with a 4.33 40-yard dash; that’s some serious speed.

Spider graph via Mockdraftable:

HIGHLIGHTS

ODDS

DraftKings Sportsbook sees cornerback (+125) as the most likely position the Eagles will target in Round 1. Offensive tackle is a close second at +140.

ALSO CONSIDERED

Again, Mitchell was a pretty obvious pick in this scenario. If he wasn’t on the board, the Eagles could’ve gone in other directions:

• DB Cooper DeJean. The position versatility and athleticism are pretty intriguing. It seems like DeJean should either be on the board at No. 22 or within range of a small trade up.
• OT Amarius Mims. Let’s be real, we all know Roseman is dying to draft a lineman in the first round. Mims’ upside is very intriguing. Combine elite athleticism with Jeff Stoutland’s tutelage and you can get Lane Johnson or Jordan Mailata. Mims could have a very bright future in Philly.