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When the Philadelphia Eagles selected Quinyon Mitchell with the 22nd pick in the NFL Draft, general manager Howie Roseman made it clear the rookie cornerback needed to stick close to veteran Darius Slay.
“I want you to live next door to Slay. I want you to sleep next to Slay,” Roseman told Mitchell during a celebratory FaceTime call after the pick.
Mitchell responded with a laugh, saying, “I might move in with him. Real talk. I’m going to text him right now.”
A Perfect Mentor
The pairing of 12-year veteran Slay and rookie Mitchell has paid dividends for the Eagles through the first 10 games of the season. Slay, with his six Pro Bowl selections and 28 career interceptions, serves as the ideal mentor for Mitchell, who is transitioning from college football at Toledo to the NFL.
Mitchell, a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate, has already established himself as one of the league’s top young cornerbacks. He’s allowing just 0.9 yards per coverage snap this season, ranking fifth among all corners with at least 250 snaps. Opposing quarterbacks are completing only 51.1% of their passes when targeting him — the sixth-lowest rate in the league.
Mitchell gained national attention in the Eagles’ recent 26-18 win over the Washington Commanders. Facing standout receiver Terry McLaurin, Mitchell allowed just one catch for 10 yards and didn’t give up a single target in the 20 snaps where he was in coverage.
“He’s a good corner,” McLaurin admitted. “He doesn’t really play like a rookie.”
Slay’s Leadership
Slay has also performed well despite battling injuries, allowing one yard per coverage snap with seven pass breakups and a 56.8% completion rate against him. Together, Slay and Mitchell have helped the Eagles’ pass defense rank second in the league in average yards allowed (173.2) and third in opponent passer rating (78.9).
The mentorship between Slay and Mitchell has been instrumental. Eagles defensive backs coach Christian Parker described their dynamic as a “big brother-little brother” relationship.
“It’s a cool big brother-little brother dynamic,” said Eagles’ defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator Christian Parker. “You can tell Q keeps Slay young and Slay has an older brother thing, so they kind of play off each other.”
Slay has a long history of mentoring young players. During his time with the Detroit Lions, he hosted offseason training sessions for aspiring defensive backs, some of whom, like All-Pro Sauce Gardner, went on to NFL success.
Slay envisions coaching at the high school level after his playing days to continue passing on his knowledge. “That’s what I think God put me on this earth for, to give out information and help others be great,” Slay said. “I don’t think he would have instilled that in my heart if it wasn’t built for me to do that.”
On and Off the Field
The duo’s bond extends beyond the field. Slay requested Mitchell’s locker be placed next to his and often brings the rookie in for early morning meetings with Coach Parker. While Slay keeps things lighthearted with jokes — teasing Mitchell about his long compression shorts or why he hasn’t yet recorded an interception — his guidance has been serious.
Before Mitchell’s NFL debut against Green Bay, Slay predicted quarterback Jordan Love would test him early. On cue, Love targeted Mitchell with a deep throw on the opening series, but the rookie held his ground, forcing an incompletion.
“I’ve been a rook before. I played Minnesota my rookie year and s—, I got thrown at about 10 times. They want to see what you’ve got,” said Slay. “They want to see why you got drafted this high. Q stood up and made the play that he made. As the year keep going, they’re going to die down with trying him like that.”
Mitchell credits Slay’s advice for his smooth transition to the league. “We talk a lot about life and he just gives me life lessons and it translates onto the field,” Mitchell said. “During the games, I’m asking him what he’s seeing and what he thinks is coming up during the next series. I lean on him a lot.”
Complementary Styles
While Mitchell modeled his game after Slay’s while at Toledo, their styles have notable differences. Slay is known for his smooth, fluid play, while the 6-foot, 193-pound Mitchell plays with a more physical, rugged approach.
“They’re both highly confident and coachable,” Parker said. “That’s why they’re thriving together.”
Building Something Special
Roseman’s draft-day advice for Mitchell to stick close to Slay has clearly worked. While Mitchell didn’t literally move in with the veteran, Slay joked, “He could, though. I got a big-ass crib for him. He won’t have to pay no rent. I’m rent-free over there. The house is paid for. I have a whole big room for him downstairs. He’s got his own kitchen if he wants it,”
“The relationship is cool because there’s no ego involved,” said coach Nick Sirianni. “Now trust me, when Slay and Q get out there they think they can cover anybody and they can cover anybody so they have the ego in that. But they’re able to put that aside. Slay saying, ‘How do I help my young player get better for the good of the team?’ And Q saying, ‘Man, this guy with all this good knowledge is willing to help me out. How do I listen?’ It’s really cool.”
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This report used information from ESPN.
