One of the top discussions during the season was whether the Philadelphia Eagles should put cornerback Cooper DeJean on the outside as CB2, given concerns about Adoree' Jackson and Kelee Ringo, or keep him in the slot.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has made it known that he wants DeJean to play in the slot, and that decision to keep him there paid off big time. DeJean ended up getting selected as a first-team All-Pro for the first time in his career after posting 93 tackles, 16 pass deflections, four tackles for loss, two interceptions, one forced fumble, and one quarterback hit in 16 games.
With the 2025 season in the rearview mirror after the 23-19 NFC Wild Card loss to the San Francisco 49ers, DeJean spoke with the media as they asked him about which position he preferred. DeJean knows exactly where he wants to play on Fangio's defense next year.
"I like playing inside, being involved in the run game," DeJean said via The Athletic's Zach Berman. "And I feel like I have the abilities to do that at that position. But obviously, it's not up to me, but that's what I'd like to do."
Cooper DeJean wants to stay in the slot
It's easy to understand why DeJean and everyone else want him to play in the slot. The coverage skills are obviously there, but he works more like a third safety in the secondary with his ability to help stop the run.
Throughout the season, Eagles fans saw DeJean laying out some of the biggest hits from anyone in the secondary. It became a common occurrence as DeJean is arguably the best tackler in the secondary.
In the offseason, the Eagles don't need to worry about DeJean moving to the outside, as that would be a mistake. He had to do that against the Dallas Cowboys in the Week 12 loss, and he struggled there, so it's better to keep him in the slot.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman needs to do a better job of finding a CB2 to help their other All-Pro cornerback Quinyon Mitchell. Jackson ended up not being a complete disaster, but he was inconsistent enough that the Eagles need to either sign a new CB2 in free agency or select another corner in the NFL Draft.
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The Eagles have DeJean in the right spot, so there's no reason to change where he is playing. They need to remember the old of "if it ain't broken, don't fix it."