When asked if rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell will be on the field for virtually every play during the Eagles’ season opener against the Packers and whether he’s prepared for that responsibility, Vic Fangio was blunt in his response:

“Yes and yes,” the defensive coordinator said Monday.

The Eagles have yet to officially name their starters for positions that were open before training camp, including cornerback. Still, Fangio confirmed that Mitchell “will be there a lot” Friday night at the Corinthians Arena in São Paulo, Brazil. Fangio also suggested that the first-round pick out of Toledo could play multiple positions, as he did in camp, at least to start the season.

The defensive coordinator threw a variety of responsibilities at Mitchell over the summer, having him play both a familiar outside lineup and the slot, a position he hadn’t tried before. But Fangio said he saw Mitchell pick up the nuances of both positions “pretty quickly,” allowing him to get on the field more often.

As camp progressed, Mitchell climbed the depth chart and the league as an outside cornerback, getting some reps on the boundary during practice opposite Darius Slay with the first-team base defense toward the end of camp. When the team was in nickel, Mitchell moved inside with Isaiah Rodgers often filling in on the outside.

“I think it would be good for him personally to stay in one place because although we are very happy with his development and his ability to learn, he is still a rookie,” Fangio said. “And I think it would be in his interest if he feels comfortable in one place, but we may not be able to do that.”

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Mitchell, 23, said he feels well-prepared for his NFL regular-season debut. He acknowledged that learning the ins and outs of the slot was a challenge at first, but now he’s “got it down.” Mitchell expressed a sense of eagerness to show his coaches that their confidence is in the right place in the form of a heavy workload.

“It just means a lot,” Mitchell said. “It just means I’ve been working hard and stuff like that, and I just have to keep my foot on the gas.”

DeJean delayed

Meanwhile, fellow rookie defensive back Cooper DeJean has been back to practice for about three weeks after sitting out most of camp with a hamstring injury. As a result, Fangio acknowledged that DeJean is behind in his development due to the circumstances.

“I think he is as prepared as he can be, but having said that, he is not where he needs to be yet,” Fangio said.

DeJean returned in time for the final preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings, playing 45 of his 47 defensive snaps in the slot. It was his first game since Nov. 11, dating back to his college career at Iowa when he broke his leg in practice. The second-round pick was rusty in some areas of his game, particularly in coverage.

“I learned a lot,” DeJean said. “I think there’s a lot of stuff I need to clean up. You could tell I hadn’t played in a while. There were things I did well and things I didn’t do so well. But it’s good to have that tape to look back and see where I can improve and really focus on that in practice.”

While Fangio suggested DeJean still needs to develop, the 21-year-old cornerback said he feels “great” after his injury and is ready to play on Friday if called upon.

“I’ve been getting a lot more reps as I’ve come back,” DeJean said. “So I’m getting more comfortable on the court, which is good. And these guys have helped me.”

Potential pitfalls

Some offenses excel in the passing game, others in the running game, and some are masters of both. According to Fangio, Green Bay falls into the latter category.

By the end of the 2023 season, the Packers were humming in both aspects of their offense, going 6-2 in their last eight games. They averaged 123.3 rushing yards and 261 passing yards per game during that span, which were improvements over their averages through the first nine games (102 rushing yards, 208 passing yards).

Consequently, the Packers also boasted a strong play-action game, forcing defenses to honor the threat of the run. Green Bay finished the season ranked ninth in the league with 118 play-action pass attempts and eighth with 1,105 play-action passing yards. Fangio said that defending the play-action game well is paramount for the linebackers, but his group didn’t see “a lot of that type of play-action” in camp.

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Quarterback Jordan Love brings an extra edge to the offense with his ability to extend plays, Fangio added. The second-year starter has 200 scramble yards in 2023 (No. 13 in the NFL), according to Pro Football Focus.

“They’re really tough to defend,” Fangio said. “They run and throw equally well, and when you put an athletic quarterback in there, they’re a sucker all day.”

Mailata is captain for the first time

The Eagles on Friday announced their seven-man roster of captains for the 2024 season. The group includes Lane Johnson, Jalen Hurts, Brandon Graham, Jordan Mailata, Jake Elliott, AJ Brown and Slay.

Mailata, the 27-year-old left tackle from Australia, is the only first-time captain in the group. He said he was both shocked and honored when he learned of his selection by his peers in a team meeting. The award, however, does not change his approach to leadership.

“I want to keep doing what I know and what I believe in,” Mailata said. “There’s a reason your teammates vote for you. I’m not going to change anything. I’m just going to keep going.”

“I will say this: it does highlight that they are looking at me now. So I want to continue to be the best example, on and off the field, and hold everyone accountable.”