This 2024 Eagles Rookie Class Is Coming Up Big.
This month, a 7–2 Washington football team visited the Linc on a dark November Thursday night. Their plan of attack against an Eagles team that is one of the best division rivals— was to attack Philly’s young secondary. In his six years as a Washington wide receiver — Terry McLaurin had proved himself to be an Eagle killer — hauling in five touchdowns for nearly 860 yards.
What would happen in this chilly November NFC East matchup would be quite different than in year’s past. It was the Eagles defense and Quinyon Mitchell who were on the offensive. McLaurin had played the Eagles before, he just hadn’t played against a rookie quite like Quinyon Mitchell.
Grading any NFL Draft Class is a wait and see. Follow your draft priorities and use patience to see if things turn out. If anything has defined General Manager Howie Roseman’s career besides being a risk-taker is his ability to find great talent in the NFL Draft. He does it year after year.
Quinyon Mitchell has been a lockdown corner all season. Last week was Johnny Wilson’s first touchdown catch of the season against Dallas. Cooper DeJean is not only finding his place not only on defense but also on special teams. If edge rusher Jalyx Hunt is truly a project, he’s one that is on the field and playing and we haven’t even seen the best of Trevor Keegan, Ainias Smith, Will Shipley, or Jeremiah Trotter, Jr. By season’s end, perhaps we will.
This year’s draft has only been upstaged by a plethora of How Roseman gems. In 2023 — where the Eagles grabbed Nolan Smith, Jalen Carter, Sydney Brown, and Tanner McKee. Or 2022, when they landed Jordan Davis, Cam Jurgens, and Nakobe Dean. Or 2021, when they landed Devonta Smith, Landon Dickerson, and Kenneth Gainwell.
The recent draft success rivals that of 1987 — when the Eagles acquired Chris Carter, Jerome Brown, Byron Evans, and David Alexander. In 2012 in Andy Reid’s Final Draft — the Birds secured Fletcher Cox, Vinny Curry, Nick Foles, and Brandon Boykin.
The Commanders got what they expected from the Eagle’s defensive. Single coverage on Terry McLaurin with a rookie corner from Toledo out on an island. As Saquon Barkley ran away with the game in the fourth quarter and the Eagles defensive pressure and coverage schemes frustrated Jayden Daniels — McLaurin would end this November night with only one catch for ten yards.
It was not what Washington expected from Quinyon Mitchell. It was a whole lot more.
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