The Philadelphia Eagles have plenty of bright spots on the roster, with cornerback being one of those despite some questions about the youth of the position group.
Philly fans were spoiled with such a great unit thanks to what Eagles general manager Howie Roseman did by selecting Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft. Adding veteran Darius Slay in the picture, the cornerbacks were stacked and helped the number one defense cruise to a Super Bowl title.
This offseason, the Eagles released Slay and James Bradberry because of how good Mitchell and DeJean were in their rookie seasons. They also let Avonte Maddox walk in free agency. It left Roseman with having to be particular about what moves he made next.
Philadelphia went on to sign Adoree' Jackson in free agency and select Mac McWilliams in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. These moves help add depth to the cornerback position that now has one question: Can the young players step up to the plate in 2025? Training camp will help answer that question.
2025 Eagles Training Camp Breakdown: Cornerback
Quinyon Mitchell
The 2024 first-round pick dominated with 46 tackles and 12 pass deflections in 16 games, but those stats don't tell the whole story. He allowed an impressively low completion percentage of 54.7% and a quarterback rating of 87.2 during the regular season. His two interceptions in the postseason helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl, and he was a runner-up for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Expectations have skyrocketed for Mitchell in 2025 as he now becomes the number one cornerback. He'll be covering the top receivers in the league, and if last year was any indication, he appears to be up to the task.
Cooper DeJean
Philadelphia's second draft pick in 2024 was another star who was born in the Super Bowl run. DeJean had 51 tackles, six pass deflections, three fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble in 16 games. He had the iconic pick-six in the Super Bowl on Patrick Mahomes that has become one of the best moments in franchise history.
DeJean will play a much different role than Mitchell, as Vic Fangio will be moving him around on defense at outside corner, slot corner, and safety. The jack-of-all-trades cornerback is poised for an even bigger season in 2025.
Adoree' Jackson
Jackson is the newest member of the team, but is no stranger to the NFL. In his eight seasons with the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants, the former first-round pick has racked up 404 tackles, 61 pass deflections, and four interceptions in 97 games.
The veteran's role will be interesting as he is competing with Kelee Ringo for the starting outside cornerback job. It could be the Eagles leaning towards Ringo because of his familiarity with Fangio's defense, but Jackson provides insurance in case things go south in 2025.
Kelee Ringo
Speaking of Ringo, the former 2023 fourth-round pick has had an interesting first two seasons in Philadelphia. He has racked up 36 tackles, three pass deflections, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, and one interception in 34 games.
What's fascinating about Ringo is that he is 6-foot-2, which is well above any cornerback on the roster. It may not be said out loud, but the Eagles hope to have Ringo become a solid defender so they can use his height in the starting lineup to shut down the taller receivers.
Eli Ricks
Ricks is another two-year cornerback who has been more of a backup. He has posted 21 tackles, three pass deflections, and one tackle for loss in 23 games.
Ricks could sneak in and potentially start, but he's always been more of a depth player. Nothing much should change, as he should still be able to make the 53-man roster.
Mac McWilliams
Here is the first rookie on the list, with McWilliams being selected in the fifth round out of UCF. He made 133 tackles, 25 pass breakups, and two interceptions in 42 career games.
Don't expect too much production out of McWilliams in Year 1, as he should be more of a special teams guy. He is a developmental player with hopes that he could potentially start in the next year or two.
Parry Nickerson
Nickerson spent part of last season on the Eagles' practice squad, but has experience with playing on the field. In 30 career games with five NFL teams, he made 33 tackles, one pass deflection, and one tackle for loss.
He is currently battling for the backup nickel corner job behind DeJean. There's a ton of competition at cornerback, so Nickerson is not guaranteed a job, but he has a decent shot with his experience on the team last year.
A.J. Woods
After being an undrafted free agent for the Washington Commanders last year, Woods spent the season with the Eagles on the practice squad. It'll be a long shot for him to make the roster and would be a solid option to return to the practice squad.
Tariq Castro-Fields
Castro-Fields has played in 12 games with the Commanders and the Carolina Panthers with four career tackles. Another long shot to make the roster and either will be on the practice squad or get cut in training camp.
BJ Mayes
Mayes is an undrafted rookie out of Texas A&M, where he had 30 tackles, nine pass deflections, four interceptions, and one fumble recovery in 2024. He makes sense for a practice squad spot for the Eagles just to give him time to develop.
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Brandon Jackson
Jackson is another undrafted rookie out of Oregon. At best, he is on the practice squad, but could have a tough time getting the job done with 10 other corners trying to win roster spots.