At the end of the Super Bowl, it was clear to all Philadelphia Eagles fans that cornerback Cooper DeJean was going to be special.
His pick-six in the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs is one of the greatest moments in franchise history. It was his play in the postseason, though, that helped the NFL realize how much Eagles general manager Howie Roseman robbed the league of selecting DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The 2025 season has brought about new changes, with Darius Slay, James Bradberry, Avonte Maddox, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson all departing from the team in the secondary. This puts more pressure on Mitchell and DeJean to carry the cornerback position. All signs point towards them being able to handle it.
ESPN named DeJean the best slot cornerback in the NFL
ESPN senior NFL writer Bill Barnwell named the best luxury players at specialized positions like sixth offensive lineman, blitzing off-ball linebacker, and more. DeJean was named the best slot cornerback in the NFL after his impressive rookie season.
"Yes, he's already there. DeJean spent the first month of his rookie season on the sidelines, but after Philadelphia's Week 5 bye, his move into the starting lineup coincided with a massive defensive improvement. After ranking 26th in expected points added (EPA) per play on defense before the bye, the Eagles were comfortably the league's best defense by the same metric afterward -- the second-place Texans ranked closer to 13th than they did to first.
It would probably be unrealistic to suggest DeJean was the single driver of those improvements, but he certainly served as a revelation in the secondary. From Week 6 onward, his minus-22.7 EPA allowed as the nearest defender in coverage ranked second in the league, with fellow rookie standout Nate Wiggins the only cornerback ahead of him, per NFL Next Gen Stats. He didn't allow a single touchdown on 68 targets. And while he didn't record any interceptions during the regular season, you might remember what he did to Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl.
With the Eagles releasing Darius Slay, DeJean will play outside more often in 2025, as he'll likely start outside in their base defense and work out of the slot in sub packages. He was in coverage as an outside cornerback on just six snaps last season, none of which came during the postseason. He moved all around the backfield in college at Iowa, which should help his chances of handling the added responsibilities. A dominant rookie season also bodes well for his chances of being a great NFL cornerback regardless of where he lines up pre-snap."
DeJean finished the 2024 season with 51 tackles, six pass deflections, three tackles for loss, three fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble in 16 games. His coverage skills were exceptional as he allowed a completion percentage of 66.2% and a passer rating of 80.1. He finished fourth in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
His postseason play separated him from most of the rookies in the NFL. In four games, he made 18 tackles, four pass deflections, one fumble recovery, and one pick-six.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio already has big plans for DeJean, as he could end up being more than just a slot cornerback. DeJean could be lining up at safety and outside corner, depending on the packages.
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That kind of versatility will only enhance the legendary status DeJean is slowly building. Fangio wants guys on his defense to be able to play multiple different positions, and DeJean appears to be at the top of his list to do that.
The scary part about DeJean is he is only going to get better at 22. Imagine how good he is going to be in 2025 with more experience under his belt.