Philadelphia Eagles select Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell with 22nd pick in 2024 NFL draft
DETROIT (CBS) -- The Philadelphia Eagles selected Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell with the 22nd overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft Thursday night in Detroit.
Mitchell is the first cornerback the Eagles have drafted in the first round since Lito Sheppard in 2002.
Mitchell was ranked as the best cornerback of the draft by CBS Sports and the No. 8 overall prospect. The Eagles opted to take Mitchell over Terrion Arnold, the other top cornerback in the draft who attended the University of Alabama.
Mitchell started 40 games at Toledo over the past three seasons.
Mitchell, 22, adds youth to Philadelphia's cornerback group with returning starters Darius Slay and James Bradberry.
Mitchell played at Toledo for four seasons and is the university's all-time leader in pass breakups with 46. He broke the previous record of 42, held by Samuel Womack.
In 2023, Mitchell led the team in PBUs with 18 and had 40 tackles, two tackles for loss and one interception. He also earned Second-Team Associated Press Honors and was named First-Team All-MAC.
One of Mitchell's breakout games at Toledo happened during the 2022 season, where he had four interceptions, including two that he returned for touchdowns, against Northern Illinois.
Mitchell ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. A strong performance at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, also helped his stock heading into the draft.
According to Pro Football Focus, Mitchell had back-to-back 91.5-plus PFF grades in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He was targeted 132 times over the two years and allowed just 54 catches, according to PFF.
"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," NFL.com wrote in their scouting report about Mitchell.
Mitchell is the third straight defensive player the Eagles have selected in the first round.
Over the past two years, Philadelphia has built through the trenches by selecting former University of Georgia defensive linemen Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter.
Right before the draft started, the Eagles locked up wide receiver A.J. Brown to a three-year contract extension that will keep him in Philly through the 2029 season.
The Eagles have seven more picks in the 2024 NFL draft, including two in the second round Friday night.