The Eagles pulled off a thrilling win in their first preseason game of 2024. In a close matchup with the Ravens, Philadelphia actually had many of its defensive starters on the field at the start of the game while the offense relied on backup players. I wonder if this trend will continue when evaluating certain positions on defense like inside linebacker, cornerback and safety. Here’s a recap of the rookies’ performance.
Quinyon Mitchell: B
This game was everything you would expect from Quinyon Mitchell. He finished a drive with an impressive PBU that should have been a pick, showing his athleticism and foresight. Later, he allowed a big play simply because he was in bad position. This type of inconsistent performance is not surprising. Cornerback is a difficult position to get used to, and Mitchell will steadily improve the more he sees the field. It’s worth noting that Mitchell started as an outside cornerback and played in the slot in nickel formations.
Cooper DeJean: N/A
The rookie DB continues to battle injuries. Get well soon, Cooper!
Jalyx Hunt: C+
Jalyx Hunt looked like I expected in his first NFL game. He seemed physically outmatched when attacking the passer, but his speed and eagerness earned him several tackles against the run. Hunt needs to maintain his high effort and attention on the field. The team values his talent a lot, and it’s obvious. He still has a long way to go.
Will Shipley: B+
- There’s a battle for the RB2 spot this summer and Will Shipley did well against the Ravens. As a runner, Shipley had some nice runs where he fought through traffic and gained tough yards. More importantly, Shipley’s play on passing attempts was great. He had a great blitz pickup that allowed for a third down and he ran a short pass for a touchdown early in the game. Very encouraging.
Jeremiah Trotter Junior: A
While we’re thinking of a name for Son of the Ax Man…or Baby Ax Man or Ax Baby…we’ll just have to call him by his official name. Jeremiah Trotter Junior was outstanding in his first NFL appearance and was by far the most impressive of the inside linebackers. Trotter played with great speed, aggressiveness and awareness. He led the team in tackles, including sacking Josh Johnson on a scramble attempt. It’s early, but Trotter has done everything he can to earn more opportunities at starting defense.
The rest…
- Johnny Wilson had some nice blocks and caught a pass early in the game. He’s very big and very fast. Hopefully he’ll get more opportunities in the next few weeks.
- Ainias Smith’s play was not encouraging in the slightest. He was not agile on kick returns and made only one positive play on offense. It will be an uphill battle for him to make the roster.
- The rookie linemen, Trevor Keegan And Dylan McMahon both looked really solid and lots of snaps were taken.
- The Eagles will likely use three running backs during the season, which increases the chances for Kendall Milton It was pretty close to making the squad. Despite that, he fought hard against the Ravens.
- A tight end named Kevin Foelsch made an impressive one-handed catch but was unable to catch the ball on the next play. Otherwise, he was neither good nor bad.
