What should the Eagles do at cornerback?

QUINYON MITCHELL
STATS: 955 snaps, 46 total tackles, 0 interceptions, 12 passes defensed, 87.2 passer rating allowed

PLAYOFF STATS: 204 snaps, 14 total tackles, 2 interceptions, 4 passes defensed, 33.3 passer rating allowed

REVIEW: Mitchell finished the 2024 season second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, only behind winner Jared Verse. He also finished the season as Pro Football Focus’s eighth-highest graded cornerback. The Eagles’ first-round pick regularly locked down wide receivers to the point where quarterbacks avoided throwing his way. Q dropped some picks during the course of the season, which led to his first interception not coming until the Wild Card round. Even so, he was excellent.

OUTLOOK: Mitchell’s future appears to be bright; the 23-year-old could conceivably earn All-Pro recognition as soon as his second NFL season. Converting more of his breakups into interceptions will go a long way towards helping his reputation.

MY TAKE: Stay.

Poll
Quinyon Mitchell: Stay or go?

0 votes total

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DARIUS SLAY
STATS: 699 snaps, 49 total tackles, 3 TFLs, 0 interceptions, 13 passes defensed, 81.9 passer rating allowed, 1 forced fumble

PLAYOFF STATS: 248 snaps, 14 total tackles, 1 interceptions, 5 passes defensed, 92.5 passer rating allowed

REVIEW: Despite turning 34 in January, Slay was able to stave off decline and turn in another strong season. He did deal with some injury issues that led to him missing two starts and going in and out of the lineup within games at times. Ultimately, the three-time captain was a major contributor to the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX victory season.

OUTLOOK: The Eagles are reportedly going to release Slay with a post-June 1 designation. As of me typing this sentence, they have not made that move official. It’s still possible he’ll return to Philly. But the feeling here is the Eagles should move on. Not because Slay can no longer play … but because counting on a 34-year-old to continue to play at a high level isn’t a great bet, especially when there’s a prime opportunity to move forward with younger and less expensive cornerback options. Slay will always be remembered fondly in Philly but it’s time to move on.

MY TAKE: Go.

Poll
Darius Slay: Stay or go?

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COOPER DEJEAN
STATS: 627 snaps, 51 total tackles, 3 TFLs, 0.5 sacks, 0 interceptions, 6 passes defensed, 80.1 passer rating allowed, 1 forced fumble

PLAYOFF STATS: 254 snaps, 18 total tackles, 1 interception, 4 passes defensed, 61.1 passer rating allowed, 1 defensive TD

REVIEW: DeJean suffered a hamstring injury last offseason that caused him to miss most of training camp. That slow start led to Vic Fangio not trusting the rookie to play early in the regular season. DeJean finally got the nod at nickel cornerback in Week 6, taking over for a struggling Avonte Maddox. Though he wasn’t the sole reason for the turnaround, it wasn’t a mere coincidence that the entire defense started to play better once DeJean was inserted in the lineup. DeJean had a great rookie campaign, finishing 2024 as Pro Football Focus’s top-graded cornerback. He arguably made the biggest play of the season when he read Patrick Mahomes’ eyes for a pick-six to give the Eagles a 17 to 0 lead in Super Bowl LIX.

OUTLOOK: It’ll be interesting to see where DeJean plays in 2025 and beyond. With DeJean having so much success as the Eagles’ slot cornerback, why move him out of that role? But maybe DeJean wants to move outside. And/or maybe the Eagles want him to move outside if there’s a need. Maybe DeJean plays on the outside in base defense (which the Eagles did not play much in 2024) and shifts inside in nickel. The feeling here is that the Eagles should ride with DeJean in the slot again in 2025. And though he has the skill set to be a good punt returner, it’d be ideal to not have him taking hits as a ball carrier. The Eagles should try to find a different primary punt returner with DeJean available as a backup option.

MY TAKE: Stay.

Poll
Cooper DeJean: Stay or go?

0 votes total

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AVONTE MADDOX
STATS: 345 snaps, 20 total tackles, 0 interceptions, 5 passes defensed, 77.4 passer rating allowed

PLAYOFF STATS: 13 snaps, 1 total tackle, 0 interceptions, 1 pass defensed

REVIEW: Maddox began the season as the Eagles’ nickel cornerback. Teams clearly picked on him from the jump, which eventually led to DeJean replacing him in the slot. Maddox then saw some occasional snaps as the dime cornerback but he even struggled in those appearances, leading to him losing that role as well. Maddox did move up the depth chart as a backup safety option later in the season. Maddox also did have a cool redemption moment with a huge fourth down pass breakup on a Patrick Mahomes pass in Super Bowl LIX. One play later, Jalen Hurts hit DeVonta Smith for the dagger that gave the Eagles a 34 to 0 lead.

OUTLOOK: Maddox, who turns 29 this month, is set to be a free agent. If the Eagles want to bring him back on the veteran minimum to compete for a roster spot, fine. He’s a well-liked guy in the locker room and he gives good effort. But bringing him back will hardly be a priority.

MY TAKE: Go.

Poll
Avonte Maddox: Stay or go?

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ISAIAH RODGERS
STATS: 328 snaps, 26 total tackles, 0 interceptions, 4 passes defensed, 82.1 passer rating allowed, 1 forced fumble

PLAYOFF STATS: 92 snaps, 6 total tackles, 0 interceptions, 3 passes defensed, 84.4 passer rating allowed

REVIEW: Rodgers mainly saw playing time whenever Slay was out of the lineup. There was often no major defensive drop off whenever he had to play. The Eagles have had MUCH worse starting options in the past than Rodgers was as the top outside backup. Rodgers also overtook Maddox’s role as the Eagles’ dime cornerback during the season. Going from missing the entire 2023 season due to a gambling suspension to winning the Super Bowl in 2024 had to be a pretty cool turnaround for Rodgers.

OUTLOOK: Rodgers is set to be a free agent. If the Eagles don’t retain Slay, it’d be ideal to re-sign Rodgers and have him compete with Kelee Ringo for the starting outside cornerback job across from Mitchell with DeJean remaining in the slot. If Slay is re-signed, Rodgers will probably be looking for a new team that could offer him more playing time. It’ll be interesting to see what Rodgers’ market looks like.

MY TAKE: Stay.

Poll
Isaiah Rodgers: Stay or go?

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KELEE RINGO
STATS: 112 snaps, 15 total tackles, 0 interceptions, 1 passes defensed, 137.5 passer rating allowed, 1 forced fumble

PLAYOFF STATS: 15 snaps

REVIEW: Ringo had some good moments in offseason practices and preseason games but he spent most of the season as CB5. Ringo embraced his special teams role and especially shined as a gunner on punt coverage.

OUTLOOK: Ringo, who is signed through 2026, doesn’t turn 23 until June. There’s reason to believe he could be a starting cornerback for this team as soon as 2025. It’d be ideal for the Eagles to re-sign Rodgers and have him and Ringo compete for a starting cornerback job with the loser of that battle serving as a high quality backup. If neither Slay nor Rodgers are back, Ringo is the top contender to start across from Mitchell if DeJean remains in the slot. The feeling here is that the Eagles need to give Ringo a real chance to earn major playing time next season.

MY TAKE: Stay.

Poll
Kelee Ringo: Stay or go?

0 votes total

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ELI RICKS
STATS: 14 snaps, 2 total tackles

REVIEW: After playing a significant role as a rookie, Ricks was a healthy scratch for 14 of the Eagles’ 21 games during the 2024 season. He often had six cornerbacks ahead of him on the depth chart.

OUTLOOK: The Eagles refusing to risk losing Ricks signals they still have some level of hope for the 23-year-old cornerback. He’ll need to use this offseason to prove he belongs on the 2025 roster. Depending on how other moves shake out, he’s realistically competing for a CB4/CB5/CB6 role.

MY TAKE: Stay.

Poll
Eli Ricks: Stay or go?

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JAMES BRADBERRY IV
REVIEW: The Eagles tried converting Bradberry to the safety position but that transition didn’t really go well prior to him suffering an injury that kept him on injured reserve for the entire 2024 season.

OUTLOOK: The Eagles will be moving on from Bradberry, who was excellent in 2022 (second-team All-Pro) before metaphorically falling off a cliff in 2023. He’ll sign with a new team and that’ll probably be his last chance to prove he can still play.

MY TAKE: Go.

Poll
James Bradberry: Stay or go?

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PARRY NICKERSON
REVIEW: Nickerson spent time on the Eagles’ offseason roster last year before returning to Philly on the practice squad in mid-October. He signed to the Eagles’ offseason roster after Super Bowl LIX.

OUTLOOK: Nickerson is hardly a developmental player; he turns 31 in October. But he has some NFL experience under his belt and he could compete for a roster spot as a backup nickel cornerback and special teams contributor. Ideally, the Eagles will find a younger option to beat him out.

MY TAKE: Go.

Poll
Parry Nickerson: Stay or go?

0 votes total

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TARIQ CASTRO-FIELDS
REVIEW: The Eagles signed TCF to their practice squad in mid-October. They cut him in late December only to re-sign him five days later. TCF signed to the Eagles’ offseason roster after Super Bowl LIX.

OUTLOOK: TCF is fighting an uphill battle to make the 2025 regular season roster. The 26-year-old will get a chance to prove himself during offseason practices and preseason games.

MY TAKE: Go.

Poll
Tariq Castro-Fields: Stay or go?

0 votes total

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NFL FREE AGENCY OR TRADES
Slay will be able to sign with any team if/when the Eagles officially release him. The door on a return to Philly reportedly isn’t closed. We’ll see.

Retaining Rodgers on a reasonable deal seems ideal. Even more so if Slay isn’t back.

The Eagles won’t be looking to spend big money on an external cornerback addition. A veteran minimum flier on former first-round pick Caleb Farley could be interesting.

NFL DRAFT APPROACH
It’d be surprising to see the Eagles draft another cornerback before Day 3. Adding someone with slot experience could be good for the sake of having more depth there.