It appears the Philadelphia Eagles have the NFL's latest trash-talking cornerback on their hands.
Quinyon Mitchell, who was selected with the No. 22 overall pick in April's draft, gave DeVonta Smith an earful on Sunday despite the Eagles wide receiver getting the best of him during practice.
"Today was the first day I actually went against him," Smith told reporters. "I got open, caught the ball, and he told me my route was trash."
Mitchell's boldness has been heard by Eagles wideouts as early as the team's initial offseason program, though it isn't something that's rubbing them the wrong way. Quite the opposite, rather.
"I like it, though," Smith said. "He's a great guy. I like what I'm seeing. He's moving around a lot -- playing inside, going outside -- so the versatility is there but it's fun playing against him."
Three-time Pro Bowler A.J. Brown is also well aware of Mitchell's chatter, echoing Smith's sentiments this week while adding that the rookie is "not fazed" by the next level.
“I know these are camp battles but ultimately I’m just trying to get him prepared for when we play in September and that can carry on," Brown said, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. "Like I said, he doesn’t back down, he hasn’t backed down not one time and that’s what I want to see.
“And, also, like I said, for me, it makes practice very interesting when somebody’s over there chirping. It gets me going. Because these days are long, these days are long and you don’t just want to go through practice if you didn’t catch a ball or whatever. You want some competitors on the other side too. Not saying the other guys doesn’t do that but you all know like I know Slay. Not too much is going to get to him. He’s going to laugh everything off. But Q, he’s going to be locked in and he’s going to talk his talk.”
Mitchell was the first cornerback to be selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, becoming the first Toledo alum selected in the opening round in over 30 years. The 23-year-old is embracing the competition while also maintaining the bravado that led him to earn recognition out of a non-Power 5 school.
“Yeah, just every day I come out and I go against A.J., I just try to compete,” Mitchell said this week, via Yahoo Sports. “I mean, he’s one of the best in the game, so I know I'm gonna get good work. So every chance I get to go against him, I'm just gonna compete and try to raise the bar.”
Philadelphia's secondary already features one of the league's most famous trash-talkers in Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, and the Eagles' first-round pick is looking to similarly make an impact both on the field and in receiver's heads in 2024.