As Thursday’s preseason opener for the Eagles creeps closer, the team was back in pads on Monday for a long practice featuring plenty of team drills but not very many highlight-reel plays.
But there were a few moments that drew some applause from the crowd at the NovaCare Complex, including a bomb touchdown and a nifty interception. Both players mostly responsible for those two plays get the game balls for the day, so here we go:
Offense: Giles Jackson, WR
With Danny Gray being waived last week, rookie free agent Giles Jackson could now be the fastest receiver in camp. The former Washington wideout clocked 4.4 speed at his Pro Day.
But it wasn’t just his blistering speed on display, as he also showcased savvy downfield tracking and body adjustment when reeling in a touchdown bomb of about 50 yards in a “live series” on a pass from Dorian Thompson-Robinson, a very rare deep shot at Eagles camp that connected.
Jackson had cornerback Parry Nickerson beaten by a step down the left sideline, but DTR’s pass was thrown more to the inside than outside, forcing Jackson to turn his body to bring in the high-arcing throw over his shoulder. On a day when DeVonta Smith put on a route-running clinic to get open for Jalen Hurts on for several short-to-intermediate throws in live drills, Jackson still brings home the game ball for making the sweetest catch of the practice.
Despite his speed, Jackson is a long shot to make the 53-man roster. He was even’t part of the team’s initial UFDA class, as he made the team after a tryout at rookie camp. But he can also return punts, giving him some additional versatility. Definitely someone to watch in the preseason with eyes on the practice squad.
Defense: Quinyon Mitchell
The second-year corner and last year’s first-round pick is adding to his takeaway total, snaring his second interception of camp as he continues to work at both sides of the field and establish himself as one of the NFL’s top young cornerbacks.
In a a live drill, Mitchell was patrolling his area of the zone on the left side as QB Tanner McKee tried to climb the pocket and hit Ainias Smith. There might have been miscommunication between McKee and Smith, but Mitchell went from lurking around into instantaneous action as jumped in front of the pass, cut across the field and headed for the opposite direction.
Mitchell used to catch some good-natured flak from Darius Slay last year for his repeated dropped interceptions. He went the entire regular season without an interception despite some otherwise brilliant play, especially for a rookie (although he did get two picks in the postseason). But now that he’s atop the leaderboard in training camp picks, Mitchell isn’t catching anything other than errant passes.
After practice, Mitchell’s position coach, Christian Parker, was asked if Mitchell could be one of the greats in the league. “Yes,” Parker said without hesitation.
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