Back in late March, following a very strong showing at the NFL Combine, Philadelphia Eagles undrafted free agent Kepena Gushiken continued to quietly handle his business.
The raw athleticism, though, just as it was then, remains loud.
"Kapena Gushiken is a FS prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.16 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 106 out of 1247 FS from 1987 to 2026."
Eagles target former Ole Miss safety to join tight competition in Philly
Eager General Manager Howie Roseman didn't hesitate in quickly securing the services of Gushiken following the conclusion of the draft, bringing in the defensive back into a safety room that has plenty of competition following the departure of Reed Blankenship.
Gushiken showed out with a blistering 4.33 40-yard time, along with elite outputs in the vertical (40") and broad jump (11-0) testing. The former Washington State and Ole Miss safety covers plenty of ground and plays aggressively in the ground game as well, always willing to mix it up and throw his compact 5-foot-9, 189-pound frame around.
The recent news of Cooper DeJean playing safety in the unit's base look changes things a bit, but this Birds defense, of course, thrives in their nickel look, with DeJean shining in the slot. Nonetheless, when the Eagles shift out of base defense, the pecking order after Andrew Mukuba and Marcus Epps is wide open. And even then, the reliable Epps will face competition from within this group for that one safety spot opposite Mukuba.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio examined the current state of the safety room in the team's recent press conference.
“When we go to nickel, and Coop comes up and plays nickel, it'll be (Marcus) Epps playing safety. We're taking a good look at Michael Carter back there. Andre Sam," Fangio said via Eagles Wire's Geoffrey Knox. "Then, we signed an undrafted free agent, Gush (DB Kapena Gushiken). J.T. Gray has been mainly a special teams player, but he'll get a look... We'll look at all those guys. It's an open competition.”
The mention of "Gush" by Fangio shows he's in the mix. Of course, every member of the safety room will get looks, and let's not forget about seventh-rounder Cole Wisniewski or UDFA Isiah King, either.
Read more: Eagles' big picture on defense might not include former first-round pick past 2027
But don't discount the notion of Gushiken potentially emerging from the current mix. Along with Mukuba, he brings the most sheer athleticism to the table. If he progresses well and shows out in OTAs and through the summer months, Gushiken could ascend as a valuable option for this safety unit when all is said and done.
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