The Eagles are making plenty of noise in ESPN’s 2026 positional rankings, and the cornerback list shows just how loaded Philadelphia has become on the back end. Jeremy Fowler’s latest Top 10 includes Quinyon Mitchell at No. 6 and Cooper DeJean at No. 10, while Riq Woolen also drew votes from coaches and executives.
Mitchell’s rise has been fast. Philadelphia drafted him in 2024, he became an All-Pro in 2025, and now he’s already sitting among the league’s best at the position. Fowler wrote that it may only be a matter of time before Mitchell pushes into the top three, though one AFC executive said the lack of turnovers is what keeps him from climbing higher.
“Well-rounded coverage game and very competitive against the opposing team’s No. 1,” an AFC executive said. “Turnover production holds him back from the top of the group for me. Still an excellent player.”
That critique doesn’t erase the bigger picture. Mitchell’s production in coverage has him near the top of the league in yards allowed per target and yards allowed after the catch.
He was No. 9 on this same list a year ago, so the upward trend is obvious, even if one voter left him out of the Top 10 altogether. Darius Slay, meanwhile, had Mitchell even higher, slotting his former mentee at No. 4 on his own list of the game’s best corners.
DeJean’s case is different, but just as compelling. He’s become the Eagles’ defensive Swiss army knife, and Vic Fangio said DeJean will play more safety in the base defense this season. Even with that versatility, he’s still established himself as a top nickel corner and a major part of what Philadelphia has done over the past two years.
Fowler said the position call was tricky, but DeJean landed on the cornerback list with more than half of the voters. One NFC coach explained why DeJean fits there so naturally.
“He holds his own at any position, on the inside or outside,” a veteran NFC coach said. “He’s a corner because of the way he plays.
[The Eagles] play a lot of man, and he ain’t shying away from nothing. He has the range and speed to play outside all day, too.
He’s a Swiss Army knife.”
The full top 10 cornerbacks list for 2026 is Pat Surtain II, Derek Stingley Jr., Christian Gonzalez, Devon Witherspoon, Trent McDuffie, Quinyon Mitchell, Denzel Ward, Jaycee Horn, Sauce Gardner and Cooper DeJean.
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