Who would have thought that Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean would end up giving the franchise so many problems to think about?
Well, this isn't necessarily a negative, as DeJean is giving the Eagles problems, similar to an NFL team having two starting quarterbacks at the same time (Jalen Hurts and Tanner McKee, anyone? Perhaps we can discuss that later). While Quinyon Mitchell gets all the attention since he follows the top receiver on each team, DeJean is having an even better 2025 season than his rookie campaign a year ago.
Pro Football Focus has DeJean graded as the fourth-highest overall grade among 113 cornerbacks with a grade of 77.7. He has racked up career-highs in tackles (52), tackles for loss (four), and tied in pass deflections (six).
So what's the problem with DeJean right now for the Eagles?
Let's start with the dilemma that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has created for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Despite Fangio wanting DeJean to stay in the slot, Roseman made a trade with the New York Jets to acquire cornerback Michael Carter II and ship out wide receiver John Metchie III.
The problem with Carter is that he is a slot corner himself, and a pretty good one to the point that he might make sense to start there. Fangio hasn't necessarily eliminated the idea of DeJean moving to the outside, but Roseman may have forced Fangio's hand in the matter. While DeJean has shown that he can the likes of Justin Jefferson, he hasn't been a full-time outside corner yet and there's an unknown that he might not be able to handle the job.
Another aspect that might be underrated (and admittedly, could be overthinking) is the financial aspect of the move. If DeJean plays on the outside and performs well, the Eagles have a problem in the future in paying both Mitchell and DeJean like top corners. They won't be able to pay both guys the same amount without making sacrifices on the roster.
All the top-paid cornerbacks in the NFL, like Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley Jr., are on the outside, not in the slot. If the Eagles leave DeJean in the slot, there's a legitimate argument that, since DeJean doesn't face the top receivers all the time, Mitchell should be paid more money than DeJean.
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This feels like a future Eagles problem, as all is good in the world with DeJean, but eventually reality is going to strike Philly right in the face.