Mitchell was the Eagles' first-round selection in 2024 after he unexpectedly slid to pick No. 22. 

He finished second in the nation in 2022 with 19 pass breakups. In 2023 he finished second again with 18 pass breakups. He had the 12th-most and 14th-most pass breakups in a single season in college football history (or more accurately, as long as pass breakups have been tracked). In other words, he gets his hands on a lot of passes. #Analysis. He also had 5 INTs in 2022, two of which he returned for scores. He had 1 INT in 2023. In run support, Mitchell was a physical, willing participant, and a sure tackler.

Mitchell played inside and outside in college. Before the start of spring practices, Howie Roseman said that the team would allow him to focus on playing outside corner, however, he played some in the slot during the Eagles' June minicamp. 

The concerns about Mitchell were that he did not face top-tier wide receivers playing in the MAC at Toledo, and he wasn't often asked to play press man coverage. He put some of those concerns to bed during Senior Bowl practices, where he was clearly one of the best players on the field, going up against — and beating — a bunch of receivers who were selected in the first two days of the draft, while also playing press. His stock continued to rise after a great showing at the NFL Combine, where he ran a 4.33 40.

Mitchell will be one of many corners trying to land a starting role opposite Slay. As a first-round player, he'll be given every opportunity to win that job.

Isaiah Rodgers

Rodgers formerly played for the Indianapolis Colts. In June last year, Rodgers was suspended for the entirety of the 2023 season for violating the NFL's policy on gambling, and was subsequently released by the Colts. In a pure stash move, the Eagles signed Rodgers in August. He was reinstated by the NFL in April.

Rodgers' contract with the Eagles tolled in 2023 and will go into effect in 2024. That will be the final year of his rookie deal.

Rodgers was a sixth-round pick of the Colts in 2020 out of UMass, after he blazed a 4.28 40 at his pro day. He played in 15 games for the Colts in 2022, starting 9. He had 34 tackles, a forced fumble, and three pass breakups. In 2021, he had 49 tackles, 3 INTs, and 7 pass breakups. Here's one of those picks:

In addition to his role at corner, Rodgers was also the Colts' primary kick returner for three seasons, averaging a pretty good 27.0 yards per return during that span. He also took one to the house in 2020.

Rodgers has slot corner size and traits, but he mainly played outside for the Colts. During spring practices Rodgers was an obvious standout player. He looked fast and twitchy, and he made plays on the football throughout the spring, including a pick-six of Jalen Hurts. He also got occasional first-team reps, and could very well compete for a starting job opposite Darius Slay in training camp.

It's puzzling why the Colts cut him.

Kelee Ringo

The Eagles traded a 2024 third-round pick for the third pick in the fourth round of the 2023 draft to select Ringo, which was largely hailed as a steal. Shortly after the Eagles selected Ringo, Roseman said that the team would give him time to develop. Ringo did indeed sit and learn for a while, as he played just 1 snap in the regular defense through the first 12 games of the season, despite the team suffering a long list of injuries in the defensive backfield. He eventually got playing time in the final six games of the season, which we reviewed in detail here.

Ringo looked notably improved during spring practices. He had no trouble running vertically with receivers who possess world class speed, and he got his hands on a number of passes. He has all the physical tools to be a starting cornerback in the NFL, and he'll have a chance to compete for a starting spot with guys like Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and Isaiah Rodgers in training camp. It will be interesting to see if his positive momentum will carry over from the spring into the summer.

Josh Jobe

Jobe has become a good special teamer, but he really struggled in coverage during a four-game stretch early in the season against the Vikings, Bucs, Commanders, and Jets, so much so that the Eagles stopped giving him playing time in the regular defense when guys got hurt.

His special teams contributions should be enough for him to make the team again in 2024, with the hope that he can continue to develop at corner.

Eli Ricks

After a good showing in the Eagles' preseason games last season, Ricks made the team as an undrafted rookie free agent, and he got playing time in the slot out of necessity early in the season. He had some nice moments in the Eagles' win over Tyreek Hill and the Dolphins, but he also had a brutally bad game against the 49ers when he only played 5 snaps, and managed to give up 3 completions on 3 targets for 44 yards and a TD.

Ricks will once again probably have to have a standout preseason to make the initial 53 in 2024. He could also be a sneaky trade candidate for depth at some other position.

James Bradberry

Bradberry is the most obvious trade candidate on the team after the Eagles used their top two picks on cornerbacks in the 2024 draft.

He was an All-Pro in 2022 but had a nightmare season in 2023, causing the Eagles to draft cornerbacks with each of their top two picks in the 2024 draft.

Bradberry was awesome in 2022. According to PFF, opposing quarterbacks completed just 40 of 87 targets (46.0%) against him for 429 yards (4.9 yards per target), 2 TDs, and 3 INTs, for a combined passer rating of just 54.2. He finished with 3 INTs and 17 pass breakups, and earned second-team All-Pro honors. 

Early in 2023 after Avonte Maddox went down, Bradberry unselfishly played in the slot until the coaching staff and front office could find someone who could fill Maddox's role. He would eventually move back outside and for the first third or so of the season he was a decent enough starter, even if he wasn't as good as he was in 2022.

And then it all fell apart. From Week 7 on, PFF had Bradberry down for 40 completions on 65 targets for 518 yards, 7 TDs, and 1 INT. He was particularly bad in the Eagles' devastating loss to the Seahawks, when he allowed 6 receptions on all 6 targets that came his way, for 112 yards and the game-winning TD. He also tackled poorly down the stretch.

During the spring Bradberry skipped OTAs (he attended them last year), then attended mandatory minicamp. Nick Sirianni mentioned before the first minicamp practice that Bradberry would get some work with the safeties. However, during individual drills on that first day, before practice really even got underway, Bradberry made his way to the medical tent with a trainer. He was in there for a minute or so, before heading back out onto the field, without a helmet. He was a spectator the rest of the minicamp.

Bradberry has had other recent down seasons, and bounced back from them. For example, he made the Pro Bowl with the Giants in 2020, but then had a down year 2021. He was an All-Pro in 2022, and then was bad in 2023. Should the Eagles find a team with some interest in Bradberry, the financial cost to the acquiring team would only be his $1,210,000 guaranteed salary, which the Eagles would be on the hook for if they otherwise cut him. By trading him, the Eagles could save that money both against the cap and, you know, Jeffrey Lurie's bank account. It's really not that hard to imagine a team thin at cornerback throwing the Eagles a Day 3 pick (conditional?) to bring Bradberry aboard.

If the Eagles can't find a trade partner for Bradberry, they will likely move on from him anyway. They would take a dead money hit of $15,238,000. They could push $10,903,000 of that hit into 2025, with only $4,335,000 in dead money on the 2024 cap.

I've heard the sentiment that there's "a zero percent chance the Eagles cut Bradberry because his 2024 pay is guaranteed." That's nonsense. Bradberry's base salary in 2024 is only $1,210,000. The team previously converted the bulk of his base salaries in 2024 and 2025 into bonuses, and then spread that money into void years all the way out to 2029. Whether the Eagles and Bradberry part ways this offseason, next offseason, or in 2026 after the final year of his deal, the Eagles are going to have significant dead money on their cap left over regardless. 

If they keep Bradberry, they would really only be doing so if they intended on starting him. Otherwise, he'd be a 31-year-old backup who doesn't play special teams who costs a young player a roster spot. There are times you just rip off the Band-Aid, take your lumps, and move on. This is one of them.

Random Eagles notes: The defense will be fast