If you want to know why the Philadelphia Eagles are so good, year in and year out, simply look to the 2024 NFL draft for the answers you need.
That was the year that the Eagles set their secondary up for the next decade by drafting consecutive NFL All-Pros in the 1st round with cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and the 2nd round with Cooper DeJean — players who also were keys to the Eagles winning the Super Bowl their rookie season.
While Mitchell has a very specific skill set that should make him 1 of the NFL’s highest-paid players by this time next year as an outside cover cornerback, DeJean is a different monster entirely.
That’s why The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen put DeJean at the top of his list of the NFL’s “Most Versatile Players” in 2026 — a dynamo who can stick his nose in the box and body slam a player like Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry, or can intercept a pass by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and return it for a touchdown, like DeJean did in Super Bowl LIX.
It’s not a stretch to say DeJean could play any of the 5 positions in Philly’s secondary — both outside cornerback spots, both safeties, and slot cornerback. If he weren’t so valuable to the Eagles, he could also return kicks and punts, which he did at an elite level in college.
“Eagles coaches speak about Cooper DeJean with reverence because the scope of what they ask him to do from a schematic and physical standpoint is not normal,” Nguyen wrote. “DeJean does everything, except maybe man coverage, at an elite level and he’s still very good playing man. If he’s not the top tackling defensive back in the league, he’s top three. You simply can’t throw a screen in his direction and expect to get yards after the catch. His awareness in zone is where he really stands out. He knows exactly how offenses are trying to stress coverages with their pass concepts and takes away passing lanes, so even when he’s not making plays on the ball, he’s forcing quarterbacks to hold the ball.”
Cooper DeJean Primed for Position Switch in 2026
In May, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio announced DeJean will start games at safety and move to slot cornerback when the Eagles go to nickel packages — the position he has dominated the last 2 seasons.
“Eagles DC Vic Fangio told reporters Cooper DeJean will play safety in base personnel, a change from last season when DeJean started at outside CB in base,” The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane wrote on May 21.
Incredible Value for Eagles Runs Out in 2027
We can make an argument that DeJean paid off the entire value of his 4-year, $9.28 million rookie contract on 1 play — a 38-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs to give the Eagles a 17-0 lead with 7:03 left in the second quarter of Super Bowl LIX. The Eagles went on to win, 40-22, for their 2nd Super Bowl championship in the last decade.
Translation: DeJean is about to get paid. He’s eligible for his 1st contract extension following the 2026 season, and it’s not unrealistic for him to expect something in the range of the 3-year, $75.6 million contract signed by Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James.
Eagles All-Pro With $75 Million Upside Named NFL’s ‘Most Versatile Player’