July 07, 2026
Bill Streicher/Imagn Images
Lack of INTs means Quinyon Mitchell doesn't get enough respect.
Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell has more playoff interceptions than Patrick Surtain II, Derek Stingley Jr., Christian Gonzalez, Devon Witherspoon and Trent McDuffie have combined in the postseason.
But because Mitchell doesn't have as many in the regular season – doesn't have any, actually – the Eagles' top cornerback and Super Bowl champion ranked below the other five in ESPN's annual summer survey of NFL executives, coaches and scouts.
Mitchell, who made the Pro Bowl and All Pro teams last year in just his second season since being drafted 22nd overall out of Toledo, came in as the league's sixth-best cornerback, according to ESPN's survey that produced a top-10 cornerback list.
Interestingly, Mitchell's backfield teammate Cooper DeJean ranked 10th while new Eagles cornerback Riq Woolen, who won a ring last year with Seattle, made honorable mention.
An AFC executive quoted anonymously in the segment on Mitchell said the Eagles' top corner isn't top five because of his interception shortage; despite being the current active NFL leader in postseason picks, Mitchell has yet to secure an interception in 32 regular season games.
Here's the scout's summary:
"Well-rounded coverage game and very competitive against the opposing team's No. 1. Turnover production holds him back from the top of the group for me. Still an excellent player." [ESPN.com]
Apparently, the four interceptions in four playoff games and first-team All-Pro nod were enough to push up Mitchell from ninth overall to sixth, but not enough to push him into the top five.
Here's the regular season interception total for the corners voted ahead of Mitchell, by ESPN survey ranking:
| Cornerback | Career INTs |
| Patrick Surtain II | 12 |
| Derek Stingley Jr. | 15 |
| Christian Gonzalez | 3 |
| Devon Witherspoon | 2 |
| Trent McDuffie | 3 |
The arguments for Surtain II – a two-time All Pro and 2024 Defensive Player of the Year – along with Stingley Jr., also a two-time All Pro, are fair given their reputations as top-flight playmakers in a sport where turnover ratio is one of the biggest deciding factors between wins and losses.
The arguments for Gonzalez, Witherspoon and McDuffie aren't nearly as strong, as none has more than three career picks while two of them – McDuffie and Witherspoon – often play inside and not against the opponent's top receiver the way Mitchell is often used.
In the playoffs, three of them – Surtain II, Witherspoon and McDuffie – have no career picks, while Stingley Jr. has just two and Gonzalez has one. Mitchell's four in four games means he averages one interception for every postseason game he plays.
Isn't the postseason supposed to matter more?
Last year, in just his second season, Mitchell was frequently tasked with shadowing the opponent's best receiver. Also, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio often left Mitchell on an island in single-high safety play calls, with the deep safety shifting toward Adoree' Jackson's side, essentially leaving Mitchell in "Zero" coverage without any safety help.
Outside of a tough fourth quarter against the Broncos and a slip-up early against the 49ers in a first-round NFC playoff game, Mitchell was one of the league's top shutdown corners in 2025. He especially shined in a 16-9 win over the Lions in which he didn't allow a single completion against an offense that averaged nearly 30 points per game and finished as the NFL's fourth-best, per Next Gen Stats:
Quinyon Mitchell did not allow a reception on any of his 6 targets, tied for the most targets without allowing a reception in a game over the last two seasons.
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) November 17, 2025
Mitchell has allowed a 41.9% completion percentage this season, the lowest by any player since 2018 (min. 50 targets).… pic.twitter.com/cbrbygdGY2
Even the ESPN story noted that Mitchell was top-five last season in some major analytical categories. Here's what author Jeremy Fowler wrote:
He allowed 4.8 yards per target in coverage last season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, third best in the NFL among 87 defensive backs who were targeted at least 50 times. His minus-0.16 expected points added is tied for fourth among cornerbacks last season (minimum 75 targets faced). He has allowed 1.8 yards after the catch per reception, the fewest among corners. And his 42% tight-window throw rate was the highest in the NFL. [ESPN.com]
Turnover production isn't a great argument when comparing defensive backs because many of the league's best aren't thrown at once they develop their reputation.
But the fact that Mitchell has been the NFL's most prolific turnover-producer in the postseason since he was drafted, and a shutdown corner in the regular season, makes his omission from the top five a major snub.
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