Don't be surprised if Jalen Mills gets his number called on Monday Night Football
Rookie Jalen Mills may end up making his starting debut on Monday Night Football.
Philadelphia Eagles rookie cornerback Jalen Mills is listed as a free safety if you look at his Wikipedia page. That’s less about Wikipedia being confused and more about his versatility. He’s capable at excelling at both. His journey could easily be compared to that of Arizona Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu. It’s been long forgotten, but once upon a time Mathieu was seen as a possible behavior problem that wound up being taken with the 69th pick in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. The Cardinals got a steal as Mathieu was easily a first round pick if the questions hadn’t been surrounding him.
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Fast forward three years, and the Eagles find themselves in an eerily similar situation. Mills saw his draft stock fall as some wondered whether or not he was worth any NFL team investing a high pick on him. His off-the-field issues had been discussed over and over, and his personal stock had been traded in every avenue from each team’s headquarters to more social media accounts than he deserved to be discussed on.
Mills would wind up as the 233rd selection, making him a seventh-round draft choice despite the fact that many had him graded as a second-round talent. Less than five months later, he’s extremely close to making his first NFL start on Monday Night Football. It’s been quite a roller coaster ride.
Head coach Doug Pederson stated during his Thursday morning press conference that starting cornerback Leodis McKelvin hasn’t been ruled out for Monday, but hamstring injuries can be scary. It may be smart to let the veteran sit and get as close to one hundred percent as possible. Conventional wisdom would state to risk further injury in week two of a 17 week regular season wouldn’t be wise, but this is the NFL and conventional isn’t always the roadmap.
Even if McKelvin does start, we’re probably looking at a lot of on-field time for Mills. One way or another, we’ll get to see what the rookie is made of. Stay tuned.
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