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At a position the Eagles do not typically select early in the NFL draft, they now have two high-upside players added to their 2024 draft class. After taking Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell at No. 22 overall without making any trades, the Eagles double-dipped into the secondary class, taking Iowa’s Cooper DeJean, who is a ready-made fit into Vic Fangio’s defense. Sure, giving away a second-round pick isn’t ideal, but now the Eagles have two foundational pieces added to an aging secondary that could look brand new by the end of next season.
» READ MORE: Why Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell is a slam-dunk pick for the Eagles
At 40th overall, not only do the Eagles get tremendous value in DeJean, who was expected to be a late first-round selection, but also they get a player who can play multiple positions in the secondary. It all comes down to where his skill set can be best maximized, which probably played a big part in why he was still around at this stage in the draft.
Nonetheless, the multi-sport star in high school and former quarterback has all the makings of fitting as a do-it-all secondary piece.
Coverage specialist
When you watch DeJean, the first aspect of his game that is alluring is instincts, which allows him to break quickly on short, quick passing-game routes out of zone coverage. Like Mitchell, there’s a level of smoothness and patience he displays. Iowa’s defense didn’t ask DeJean to play press-man coverage often, but he trusts his long speed and ability to run stride for stride with wide receivers.
Though DeJean plays with high pad level when he explodes out of his backpedal, DeJean is a reliable, and at times, aggressive tackler, who understands when to take risks jumping routes and when to secure the tackle first.
If you’re asking DeJean to be a true, one-on-one press-man coverage player, it’s doing a disservice to his strengths. He’s susceptible to getting beat on vertical routes in one-on-one situations, and doesn’t always play the ball well in those situations.
What will be valuable for the Eagles’ secondary, particularly, is his ability to work through chaos as a trail defender against shallow routes. DeJean doesn’t get caught up in the natural picks that are set across the field. That type of awareness and cross-field speed will translate at multiple positions in the NFL.
Where will he play in the NFL?
While there’s no clear indication of what DeJean’s position will be, moving him around situationally is an option for the Eagles. After starting his career as a safety, DeJean moved to outside corner over the last two seasons and excelled in zone coverages specifically.
But the best example of his usage at Iowa was in a game against Iowa State this past season. DeJean played exclusively as a nickel the last five plays of the game and it gives you a glimpse of his ability to play several positions in the secondary. He essentially erased the Cyclones’ tight end on the last drive of the game, who was having a monster game before DeJean drew the assignment.
So whether that’s nickel, safety, outside corner, or all of the above, DeJean has all the makings of being a modern-day chess piece. Think Chiefs’ Trent McDuffie and Lions’ Brian Branch as ways he could be potentially deployed.
