Not only is Quinyon Mitchell rookie of the year worthy, but he is a team-first player. The Eagles’ first-round pick last April doesn’t seem to have a prima donna bone in his body. He would appear to be whatever the opposite of diva is.
The longer this season goes the more you learn about him, and what you learn is he doesn’t play the game for himself. It feels safe to say that, 14 games into his career, general manager Howie Roseman hit a home run by picking him 22nd overall.
His favorite moment in his first NFL season? It was against the Browns when fellow rookie Copper DeJean was inserted into the starting lineup for the first time.
“I feel like that was fun just him being out there with me; that was my favorite moment,” he said during a locker room interview on Friday, two days before the Eagles will try to clinch the NFC East title by beating the Commanders in Landover, Md., on Sunday.
Mitchell talked about often spending time with Britain Covey when practice ends to work on releases, handing off credit to the receiver who has spent a good part of the season injured.
The rookie lauded the scout team for imitating the receivers he will play weekly. This week it’s Terry McLaurin.
In case you don’t know the receivers on the scout team, Mitchell named them – Danny Ainias Smith, Danny Gray, Parris Campbell, and Kyle Phillips.
“They give me good looks, so when I come to the game it’s like practice,” said Mitchell.
Rookie of the Year buzz is swirling around Mitchell, an award no player in Eagles history has ever won. One thing missing from his resume is interceptions. He has none, and voters who look solely at numbers won’t like that, so, even though there are some betting services out there that list him as the favorite to win the award, it’s far from a foregone conclusion.
“He just continues to grow, understanding the game, things like that,” said teammate DeVonta Smith who goes against Mitchell sometimes in practice. “Really just controlling what he can.”
Smith joked about Mitchell’s lack of interceptions, though lately, teams don’t seem to be going his way much. Darius Slay alluded to being picked on by the Carolina Panthers in Philly’s win two weeks ago.
“Obviously (if) he has some hands, that would help a lot,” joked Smith, “but breaking the ball up counts, too, so going out there and making the plays. Sometimes you don’t get the action you want, but when it does come to him, he’s there.”
As for his lack of interceptions, Mitchell brought up the team aspect again.
“I’m looking for it, but I ain’t gonna chase it or sacrifice doing my job, or sacrifice one of my teammates for it, so I’m just going to keep doing my thing,” he said.
Mitchell, of course, pays no attention to the rookie of the year buzz. And how would he feel if he won it?
“It would mean a lot,” he said. “I feel like with team success individual success comes. It would be an award for myself, but my teammates too with all the hard work they put in.”
That’s just what any good teammate would say.
