PHILADELPHIA — From his rookie season in 2007 through 2015, Darrelle Revis was the NFL’s best cornerback: seven Pro Bowls, four first-team All-Pro selections, 28 interceptions, three pick-sixes. He was so good that the Jets, for whom he played most of his career, seldom gave him help from safeties, which left him on an island. His nickname soon became Revis Island, a place where receivers went to disappear.

Soon, Quinyonamo Bay will be as famous as Revis Island.

That’s the early nickname for the twilight zone that surrounds Quinyon Mitchell, the Eagles’ current best candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. It refers to Guantánamo Bay, the U.S. naval base and notorious military prison on the Cuban coast.

Maybe it’s not the most tasteful play on words, but it’s a bit of phrasing that aptly connotes both the sinister intent and dire prospects associated with challenging the best cover corner in the NFL.

On Sunday night, in perhaps Mitchell’s finest hour of many fine hours to date, a dozen of his friends and family from Williston, Fla., attended a 16-9 win over the Lions in what could be an NFC championship game preview. Most were second cousins, and all were laid-back Florida mellow.

From 47-year-old cousin Kendall Edwards, the senior member of the clan, to 13-year-old T.J. Snead, the aspiring quarterback / safety / outfielder / pitcher, they were bursting with pride that “Q” had played so well in prime time in a game dominated by the Eagles defense.

“It was awesome,” Snead said. “But cold.”

Factoring in 25-mph winds, the real-feel temperature Sunday night in Philly was 30 degrees. It was 79 back in Williston. Mitchell was even hotter.

He allowed zero catches and zero yards on six targets, according to Next Gen Stats. The league said that tied for the best performance against at least six targets since the beginning of the 2024 season.

In fact, through 10 games, Mitchell has allowed a 41.9% completion rate, which, according to Next Gen, is the lowest since 2018. He has not allowed a touchdown pass.

He is in just his second season.

As well as new edge rusher Jaelan Phillips has played; as well as linebacker Nakobe Dean has played since returning from injury; and as well as hard-hitting corner Cooper DeJean, linebacker Zack Baun and defensive tackle Jalen Carter, the linchpin of the defense, have played all season, none has been as suffocatingly good as Mitchell.

Mitchell has not gotten the recognition he deserves because he does not take as many chances as most corners, which means he doesn’t get beaten, but he also doesn’t rack up interceptions. He has zero picks in his 26 regular-season games, but that doesn’t mean he can’t catch. He picked off Packers quarterback Jordan Love in the Eagles’ wild-card playoff win in January and snagged one from Jayden Daniels in the NFC championship game win over the Commanders.

Mitchell faces the best of the best — Hall of Fame-caliber quarterbacks and Pro Bowl receivers who play on proven teams.

The Eagles opened the season against the Cowboys, who feature CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. They then visited Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. They then beat Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams when the Rams visited and did the same to two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Baker Mayfield in Tampa, Fla., when Mitchell was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

He was just getting started.

Mitchell blanketed Justin Jefferson, the league’s best receiver, when the Birds won in Minneapolis: one catch, 10 yards, three targets. He gave up two catches for 24 yards on seven targets in Green Bay; then, on Sunday Night Football, he pitched a shutout against Amon-Ra St. Brown and, occasionally, Jameson Williams.

NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth, who owns Pro Football Focus, an analytics service that rates every NFL player, believes in the numbers. He said Sunday that Mitchell already is among the best corners in the league, if not the best.

Emmanuel Acho, a retired Eagles linebacker and current NFL analyst, posted a film session Tuesday with evidence from Sunday to support Acho’s claim that Mitchell is No. 1.

Like Acho, Mitchell’s three cousins, who played with him at Williston High, presented evidence.

“He traveled well,” said Malik Latson, who was a senior receiver when Mitchell started as a freshman cornerback.

He referred to Mitchell often covering St. Brown whether the Lions receiver lined up on the left side, the right side or the slot. Last season, Mitchell lined up almost exclusively on the right side. This season, Mitchell travels all the time.

“He recognized a lot of routes before they ran them. He understood leverage,” Latson continued. “That off-man, I think, is his best coverage.”

Indeed, Mitchell seemed most effective when he gave the Lions receivers a few yards of cushion at the line of scrimmage.

But still, no picks. Revis knows: Picks get you to the Pro Bowl.

“That’s fine. No picks, that’s fine,” said Zachary Riley, who was a senior receiver and defensive back at Williston when Mitchell was a freshman. “He completes the assignment. There were no big catches on him. I mean, no catches at all, that I remember.”

He remembered correctly.

“I mean, he just looked normal. Smooth,” said C.J. Strange.

He would know best.

Strange and Mitchell graduated together. Strange played quarterback (and punter) with Mitchell, who played not only corner but also running back in high school and ran for 983 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior.

Mitchell and Strange played high school basketball together as well. That’s why Strange got the White Glove treatment last weekend, while the rest of the clan fended for themselves.

Mitchell picked up Strange at the airport around midday Saturday. They had an early dinner, then went back to Mitchell’s home to watch college football.

Latson and Riley are working as truck drivers out of Virginia, so they rented a car and drove up, but as they crossed the Pennsylvania state line and called Mitchell in the early evening, he replied, “Sorry. I’m about to head to the team hotel.”

They spent the night in his home with Strange, and the trio of teammates carpooled to the game in Mitchell’s truck, piling out two hours before game time in matching midnight green No. 27 jerseys.

They didn’t see Mitchell until after the game, when he emerged from the locker room tunnel and found himself awash in the affection unique to big families from the South.

“It means a lot, having this support system, and some of them coming all the way from Florida,” Mitchell said. “A whole lot of love here.”

And with that, the whole group left Lincoln Financial Field, eager to bask in the aura of Quinyonamo Bay.

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