Eagles rookie proves the Packers wrong for not drafting him with Week 1 performance

Twenty-one picks came and went, but he surprisingly remained available.

Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell had everything the Green Bay Packers looked for at cornerback—everything they needed. With his size, speed, athleticism, and playmaking ability, Mitchell seemed destined to become a Packer.

Brian Gutekunst didn't agree. The Packers' GM has proven he will trade up when he identifies a game-changing prospect. As Mitchell surprisingly fell into the Packers' trade-up range, Gutekunst did nothing.

The Philadelphia Eagles ended his draft-day fall, selecting him 22nd overall.

On Friday night, he made the Packers pay.

Quinyon Mitchell proves why the Packers should've drafted him with Week 1 performance

The Packers didn't believe they needed help at cornerback. Jaire Alexander's performance in Week 1 may suggest otherwise. They decided to roll the dice with Alexander and Eric Stokes, who had missed a combined 46 games over the previous three seasons.

Mitchell proved the Packers wrong in the season opener.

He was fantastic, breaking up two passes, including a touchdown-saving play in coverage against Christian Watson. According to Brenden Deeg of The Score, Mitchell allowed only four completions on nine targets, allowing a passer rating of just 66.9 in his NFL debut.

It's surprising the Packers had no interest in trading up, even if they didn't believe they desperately needed cornerback depth. They love to prioritize premium positions in the first round, and Mitchell checked every box for what Gutekunst looks for.

He has the ideal size and athleticism. Mitchell ran an impressive 4.33-second 40-yard dash and earned a Relative Athletic Score of 9.79 out of 10. His stock soared in the lead-up to the draft, but the signs were already there in college.

Mitchell defended an incredible 37 passes with six interceptions in his final two seasons at Toledo, and he proved it wasn't a fluke by dominating at the Senior Bowl. It's hard to imagine what else he could've done to prove why he was the perfect fit in Green Bay.

If Gutekunst hadn't realized it before, he sure does now. The Packers had more than enough draft capital to trade ahead of the Eagles for Mitchell.

In Week 1, he made them regret their decision.

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