The Philadelphia Eagles and general manager Howie Roseman emerged from the first two days of the 2024 NFL draft with two of the premier cornerbacks in a loaded draft class at the position.
After trading up in Round 2, the Eagles selected Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean with the No. 40 overall.
“Cooper DeJean is the most instinctive athlete in this draft,” an AFC personnel director told Heavy. “You never see him in a bad position, can play cornerback, can play safety, you can put him at nickel, and, on top of everything else he’s your punt returner.”
DeJean had a strong case as the top cornerback in this class.
Now, DeJean lands in Philadelphia alongside Eagles first-round pick Quinyon Mitchell, forming the foundation of the franchise’s secondary of the future while offering significant versatility and upside to contribute quality snaps immediately as a rookie.
“What stands out the most for me is his eyes, his quick feet, and top-tier ball skills,” the executive told Heavy. “One of the most certain guys in this entire class.”
Last season, before fracturing his fibula in November, DeJean held opponents to a meager 37.8 passer rating when targeting him.
In Vic Fangio’s defense, DeJean has the potential to be a virtual Swiss Army Knife, a role that he says the Eagles discussed with him during pre-draft visits.
“They talked to me about all three positions,” DeJean told reporters on a conference call after being drafted. “I don’t have a preference. I’m a football player, so, if you put me on the field, I’m going to go play football.”
Cooper DeJean Scouting Report
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Eagles acted boldly to get DeJean, even after taking Mitchell in the first round.
After all, veteran cornerback James Bradberry‘s play collapsed down the stretch in 2023 as Philadelphia finished last season allowing the second-most passing yards per game, 253.
During his career at the University of Iowa, DeJean produced 120 total tackles with 7 interceptions, 3 returned for touchdowns, while adding 5 tackles for loss.
“Highly competitive defensive back,” NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein wrote of DeJean. “With plus ball skills and noteworthy special teams value. DeJean is big and bundled for a cornerback, with muscular arms and tight hips.
“He has fantastic interception production, but his movements are more linear than fluid, and he doesn’t have the easy change of direction needed in man coverage on the next level. His best football is played with his eyes forward, using his instincts to challenge quarterbacks and his big downhill burst to smack whatever needs smacking.”
Howie Roseman Explains Eagles’ Quinyon Mitchell Selection
Getty ImagesThe Eagles chose cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, out of Toledo, in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Thanks to aggressive free agent signings, bolstering the star power on offense and adding experience at linebacker, the Eagles had few positions that needed to be addressed during the NFL draft.
Cornerback might have been the most glaring weakness.
Still, Roseman explained that the way the board felt, Philadelphia was fortunate that Mitchell was still available when the Eagles went on the clock, the positional need made the pick even easier to make.
“We didn’t feel like we had a take a corner in the first round,” Roseman explained. “But, it was the highest ranked player on our board at a position that we would like to get some younger players here. We got some younger players last year and we like those younger players.
“We wanted to add some competition at the corner position, so we felt like based on those factors … but I think the most important thing was we didn’t jump the board. This guy was standing out on our board. He was the highest ranked guy. You know, it just seemed like a pretty easy pick.”
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NFL Executive Praises Eagles’ Cooper DeJean: ‘Most Instinctive Athlete in This Draft’