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Things to watch for at Eagles training camp: Cornerback edition 15%
7/12/2026, 11:04:55 AM
BS Summary: This article contains 14 faulty reasoning types, including Framing Effect, Negativity Bias, and Optimism Bias, with Biased Writer Voice as the most egregious example at 9.4% saturation with 115 hits. Analysis detected 838 faulty-reasoning hits from 1,220 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 31.7% and a BS Rank of 15% (12,502 of 14,612 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 85.60% of the article peer group.
Quinyon Mitchell (27) and Cooper DeJean (33)
Philadelphia Eagles training camp begins at the end of July, so over the next few weeks we'll detail what we need to see from each positional group heading into the 2026 season.
We'll continue on today with the cornerbacks.
Previous training camp previews
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver
Tight end | Offensive tackle | Interior OL
Edge defender | Interior DL | Linebacker
First, the depth chart:
• The Eagles probably have the best trio of starting cornerbacks in the NFL in Quinyon Mitchell , Cooper DeJean , and Riq Woolen .
As noted in our iDL review , there's a pretty good argument that the Eagles also have the best trio of interior defensive linemen, and the best pair of starting offensive tackles.
It's a pretty good roster!
Mitchell and DeJean both earned All-Pro honors in 2025, and Woolen was a Pro Bowl corner as a fifth-round rookie back in 2022.
• Mitchell had no regular season INTs, but per PFF, he allowed just 36 completions on 82 targets for 389 yards, and 0 TDs allowed (58.4 passer rating), with 17 pass breakups while often following the opposing team's best receiver.
He did finally give up a TD in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, but he also had 2 INTs and a forced fumble that prevented points in that game.
Though he has 0 regular season INTs, Mitchell has 4 INTs in 5 career playoff games.
I say with no hyperbole at all that he might already be the best cornerback in the NFL.
He'll be recognized as such if he can start picking off more passes.
And, prediction: There will be a training camp during which Mitchell picks off a bunch of passes, and then it carries over into the regular season.
We'll see if that happens this summer.
• DeJean will split time between cornerback and safety this year, after Vic Fangio announced in May that DeJean would be playing safety in the base defense.
He'll continue to play in the slot in nickel, which is the Eagles' most common defensive look, by far.
Fangio recently appeared on DeJean's and Reed Blankenship's podcast, and said to DeJean, "Your days at corner hopefully are over."
Some took that to mean that DeJean was moving to safety full-time.
To clarify, in Fangio vernacular, "corner" = "outside corner."
"Nickel" = "slot corner."
So Fangio was really saying that his days at outside corner were hopefully over.
He'll still spend most of his time in the slot.
• At a minimum, Woolen should be a pretty nice upgrade on the guys competing for the outside corner spot opposite Mitchell.
Adoree' Jackson "won" that camp battle last year, but only because Kelee Ringo proved that he wasn't ready for an elevated role, while other guys like Jakorian Bennett and then-rookie Mac McWilliams couldn't capitalize.
Woolen's Eagles career is off to a great start.
He was a clear standout player during spring practices.
• One interesting aspect of training camp this year is that the Eagles have to figure out roles for their wide receivers.
Mitchell, DeJean, and Woolen will provide super hard tests for the receivers trying to earn more playing time this season.
• Like DeJean, Michael Carter could play some safety.
He's primarily a slot corner, but played some safety for the Eagles last season, and Fangio seemed happy with what he saw from Carter on the back end.
In my opinion, Carter could start in the slot for a decent number of teams.
He will be a versatile backup for the Eagles.
• A very under the radar player who had a really good spring was Jonathan Jones , a 10-year NFL veteran (nine with the Patriots, one with the Commanders) with outside and slot corner versatility.
He has played in 152 NFL games, with 80 starts.
In 12 games (7 starts) with the Commanders in 2025, Jones had 41 tackles and 5 pass breakups.
The Eagles like their backups along their offensive line to be able to play multiple positions, and the same can be said for their backup DBs.
Well, their top two backup DBs — who in my opinion are Carter and Jones — both have multi-positional versatility.
• The Eagles made a reasonable enough selection of Ringo early on Day 3 in the 2023 draft, betting on his size (6'2) and speed (4.36 40), and then allowing him to develop behind the scenes for a couple years.
But in 2025 it was time for Ringo to show that he was ready to become a starter alongside Mitchell and DeJean, and he was given every opportunity to do so... but it just didn't happen.
He had an underwhelming training camp, and he was roasted in the preseason games, opening the door for Jackson to beat him out for the starting job.
Ringo appeared in 17 games, and actually started three of them, playing 311 snaps.
He was entirely too grabby in coverage, committing five pass interference penalties, one illegal contact penalty, and one defensive holding penalty.
Ringo does bring special teams value as a gunner.
Because of his size and strength he is difficult to jam, and he can typically outrun jammers down the field.
There have been instances in the past of Eagles cornerbacks struggling early in their careers and then becoming viable starters elsewhere.
Recent examples include Rasul Douglas and Josh Jobe .
So maybe the Eagles won't be so quick to move on from Ringo?
He's still only 24 years old.
My perception is that most fans have given up on him.
Another outcome could be that the Eagles trade Ringo for backup help at another position, perhaps along the interior of their offensive or defensive lines.
• I thought Mac McWilliams had a decent spring as a rookie last year, but he wasn't as good in training camp.
He made the team, but he was only active for five games, and he played a total of 49 snaps (28 on defense, 21 on special teams).
And actually, 21 of those defensive snaps came in the Week 18 "resting starters" game that he only got to play in because an undrafted rookie got hurt.
He's going to have to show significant improvement to make the team again in a much more crowded cornerback group.
• One undrafted rookie free agent I'm curious to get a look at is Kapena Gushiken , who should get looks both in the slot and with the safeties.
We'll include him with the corners for now.
Gushiken doesn't have good size (5'10, 189), but he's fast (4.33 40 at Ole Miss' pro day).
Quick highlight reel:
Scouting report via The Athletic's Dane Brugler:
He sounds like a smaller Sydney Brown .
Gushiken did earn a nickname from Fangio, who called him "Gush" during the spring.
That's pretty big for Gush's brand.
• The last three guys — Tariq Castro-Fields , Ambry Thomas , and Shaun Wade — are vets who are probably hoping to play well enough to land on the practice squad.
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