It has been one of the quickest rises in recent memory, but Philadelphia Eagles cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean have quickly established themselves as a dynamic duo in the secondary.
Mitchell from Day 1 proved to be a shutdown corner, while DeJean established himself as more of a versatile player who can play cornerback and safety. Sports Illustrated writer Gilberto Manzano had a tough time, but ultimately went with Mitchell and DeJean as the NFL's best cornerback duo ahead of the Houston Texans' Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter.
"In only two seasons, Mitchell is already in the conversation as the league’s best shutdown corner. When it comes to singlehandedly defending the elite wideouts, Mitchell might be as good as Surtain, and it’s wild that Mitchell still hasn’t recorded an interception in the regular season due to the lack of targets he sees on game day. Quarterbacks rarely test Mitchell’s side of the field, a trait that earned him first-team All-Pro honors in 2025.
But what separates Philly from the rest is the versatility that DeJean offers (the Eagles wisely have him listed as a defensive back) as a hybrid defender who can play from the slot and roam the field as a chess piece for Vic Fangio’s defense. He, too, earned first-team All-Pro honors last season."
Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean named best CB duo in the NFL
The two combined for 33 pass deflections last season, which is unheard of for a cornerback duo. Mitchell allowed a 44.3% completion percentage, while DeJean allowed a passer rating of 75.4.
There have been a lot of complaints about Mitchell not nabbing enough interceptions, with none during his first two seasons, but he has been tested more in the postseason and already has four in five games. DeJean has had his own playoff success with one of the most iconic plays in franchise history, with the pick-six on Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LIX.
Mitchell could see more opportunities for interceptions in 2026, though, with the addition of Riq Woolen at CB2. Woolen had a strong OTAs with the Eagles and will most likely get tested early on, as teams find out how good he is. That should open the door for Mitchell to really feast in 2026.
DeJean's versatility is expected to be on full display this season, with Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio already saying that the young corner will be playing safety in "base" defense. Fangio could be planning on moving DeJean around in the box or out in coverage, with the safety position already a big concern for the Eagles.
What makes Mitchell and DeJean a scary combo is that they are both entering their third year in the NFL, meaning there are plenty more years in them to dominate the league. Worse for the league is that they will only get better working together.
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This was a well-deserved placing for two guys who are going to have long NFL careers with the Eagles.
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