Quinyon Mitchell heavily bonding with underdog rookie who could make Eagles' practice squad

Philadelphia Eagles first-round pick Quinyon Mitchell has heavily bonded with fellow small-school rookie cornerback Shon Stephens this offseason.

Stephens, an undrafted free agent, told Andrew DiCecco of Inside the Birds that Mitchell was the first one to text him when he signed his one-year deal following his rookie minicamp tryout back in May.

And ever since then, the two have been two peas in a pod.

“We were both smaller-school guys,” Stephens said. “But he’s pretty laid back and humble, and I’m the same way. So, we were just working out and we’d end up talking and laughing and stuff during training and everything. So, we got close pretty fast.

“And then from there on, we just happened to both get picked up by the Eagles. Once I got picked up, he texted me and he said, ‘Let’s do it.’ And once I got [to Philadelphia], we’ve been close ever since.”

DiCecco added that Stephens and Mitchell threw the football before practices and took notes together. Mitchell also helped Stephens out when he needed guidance.

With the Eagles having 15 cornerbacks competing for a roster spot entering training camp, it will be a long shot for Stephens to make it past final cuts. However, there could be a definite spot for him on the Eagles' practice squad this season if he puts on a solid camp performance.

Stephens Comes With a Hardship Background

Stephens comes with a hardship background, which makes it very easy to root for him.

The Bakersfield, California native was at Missouri Southern State before he stepped away from football to care for his sick mom who had suffered a heart attack.

In an attempt to make up for time away from football, Stephens tried to transfer to a bigger Division I school to get more eyes on him. Both Penn State and Purdue expressed interest in him, but he was denied twice by the NCAA.

"I wasn’t trying to, you know, play tricks on the NCAA or nothing. I was just trying to get that year back and maximize my potential, play at the highest level that I can," Stephens said via 9&10 News . But I wouldn’t take anything back or change anything, you know, I had to do what I had to do for my mom regardless."

After three seasons away from playing football, he landed at West Liberty before transferring to Ferris State.

Stephens made the best of the two years he played at the D2 level, posting 16 total interceptions. He was named All-American in 2022 and was the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Defensive Back of the Year in 2023. He was also a first-team All-GLIAC player and a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award which honors the best defensive player out of a small college.

Stephens caught the attention of many national scouts during the pre-NFL Draft process after an impressive performance at Michigan State's Pro Day where he ran a 4.38 40-yard dash and clocked a 6.99 3-cone drill.

Athleticism runs in the family as Stephens is also the nephew of 13-year NFL veteran Joey Porter Sr. and the cousin of Pittsburgh Steelers ' former 32nd overall pick cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

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