The starting cornerback position for the Philadelphia Eagles is not in a great spot heading into their Week 7 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Adoree’ Jackson and Kelee Ringo have struggled and been underwhelming at the CB2 spot. Meanwhile, Quinyon Mitchell is dealing with a hamstring injury that might sideline him for Sunday.
If Mitchell can’t play, then it’ll be Jackson and Ringo starting against Minnesota and having the task of covering Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Along with those two guys, keep an eye on Eagles rookie cornerback Mac McWilliams, who could see the field too on Sunday, according to defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
“We’ve been trying to focus [Mac McWilliams] at one point on learning the nickel spot to be the backup nickel, then we shifted our focus to try and get him to learn corner and be a viable option if we had issues out there. So, he’s kind been going back and forth. He’s doing okay [on the outside], Fangio said via Alex Chassen of Bleeding Green Nation.
Based on the ongoing issues at CB2 and now Mitchell being banged up, the Eagles might have no choice but to see what the rookie cornerback can do.
Eagles Rookie CB Mac McWilliams Might See Playing Time in Week 7
The rookie cornerback out of Central Florida has appeared in three games this season, with all of his snaps coming on special teams (13).
McWilliams has the prototypical size to play in the slot (5-foot-10, 191 pounds), but has the skills to play on the outside as well. At Central Florida, he showcased the ability to “float” through zone coverage and take away passing options for the QB.
Despite his size, McWilliams showed in college that he has the speed to stay with receivers on deeper routes down the field. His press skills have some more room for improvement, but he can be used as a blitzer off the corner, which is a nice wrinkle for Fangio.
McWilliams spent the first four years of college at UAB, where he racked up 23 pass deflections, an interception (returned for a TD), and had six tackles for loss. Last year at UCF, he recorded 6.5 tackles for loss, two pass deflections, an interception, and a sack.
Based on what we’ve seen from Ringo and Jackson, which hasn’t been great, Eagles fans will likely be open to seeing what McWilliams can do. The rookie can’t be worse than what we’ve seen from the two vets. Now, asking the rookie to step in for Mitchell will not happen, as Jackson and Ringo will split those tasks.
However, if the rookie CB can show Fangio and the rest of the Eagles’ coaching staff something, it could lead to more playing time.