An eye on Philadelphia’s 2024 NFL Draft class.
The Eagles are looking for their third win of the 2024 NFL season as they head to Florida for a Week 4 showdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Philadelphia appears to be short-handed in key spots, which might put some pressure on their young guys to perform in this game. Here are some rookie storylines to monitor.
Quinyon Mitchell’s biggest test yet
Quinyon Mitchell has been excellent through the first three weeks of the season. While he has had his rookie moments, Mitchell has been sticky in coverage and made a handful of key stops and pass breakups. Tampa Bay will be a great challenge for the star cornerback. Baker Mayfield has found new life in the Buccaneers offense and he loves slinging it to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Regardless of who Mitchell lines up against, I expect the Bucs to challenge the rookie in coverage. A big game from No. 27 could be the difference between a win and loss in this one.
The Eagles might need a lot from Johnny Wilson
Asking a sixth-round rookie to step up at this stage in their career is a tall order, but that might be the case for Sunday’s game. The Eagles could very well be without DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown in this game. Even if one of them is able to go, they could be limited. Factor in Britain Covey’s absence, and Johnny Wilson could see even more opportunities than he’s seen so far this year. Wilson has a lot to offer from a physical standpoint, but he has mostly been used as a blocker in the passing game. Hopefully he can step up and make some big catches in this game.
Cooper DeJean will show what he’s got in the return game.
The loss of Britain Covey is a big hit to the Eagles special teams. That being said, Cooper DeJean was an excellent returner in college and could soften the blow as he steps in. DeJean will return punts in Covey’s absence. While he doesn’t need to be spectacular, getting a few decent returns could go a long way to help an undermanned offense in this game.
