Eagles 2026 Most Important List: Cooper Dejean

Eagles 2026 most important list: Cooper DeJean originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Over the next few weeks leading up to training camp, we’ll be counting down the top 25 most important Eagles for the 2026 season.

25. Eli Stowers
24. Marcus Epps
23. Dontayvion Wicks
22. Tyler Steen
21. Moro Ojomo
20. Drew Mukuba
19. Jihaad Campbell
18. Nolan Smith
17. Jalyx Hunt
16. Dallas Goedert
15. Makai Lemon
14. Riq Woolen
13. Cam Jurgens
12. Landon Dickerson
11. Jordan Davis
10. Jonathan Greenard
9. Zack Baun
8. Cooper DeJean

How did Cooper DeJean follow up a pick-6 in Super Bowl LIX on his 22nd birthday?

He was an All-Pro in Year 2 of his career.

DeJean, 23, is entering the third season of his young NFL career and is already one of the very best defensive backs in the NFL. He mostly plays nickel but thrived when he lined up outside this year and will get a chance to also play some safety in 2026. He’ll probably be really good there too.

DeJean is just too good to take off the field, which is why he played outside cornerback in the Eagles’ base package last season in place of Adoree’ Jackson. But after the Eagles added Riq Woolen in free agency to shore up the CB2 spot, the plan is for DeJean to play safety in the base package this season before sliding to his normal post at nickel.

“It’s not that easy,” DeJean said this spring. “I’m not just going out there and playing it at a high level. There’s still things to learn, and that’s what OTAs are for.

“I’m trying to learn. Obviously, there’s a lot more space than playing nickel and even corner. You’re coming from top down and giving a lot of space to guys, whoever you’re covering. So it still is taking some getting used to. But I feel like I’ve prepared myself since I got here to be ready whenever my number was called to play that position.”

But playing safety isn’t anything new to DeJean. In fact, he opened last training camp lined up at safety in the team’s base defense. Eventually, Vic Fangio made the decision to play DeJean at outside cornerback in 2025. But it’s a testament to DeJean’s versatility that Fangio has all these different options. DeJean is an excellent nickel cornerback so any snaps he gets at wide corner or safety are just extra.

Here’s how DeJean’s snaps broke down last season, per PFF:

Slot: 685

Wide: 245

Box: 138

D-line: 27

Safety: 1

In 2025, DeJean started 16 games and had 2 interceptions, 16 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, 93 tackles and 4 TFLs. He was named to his first Pro Bowl team and got his first All-Pro nod, along with fellow second-year corner Quinyon Mitchell.

It’s hard to imagine DeJean getting better in Year 3, but that’s the hope. And DeJean is one of a bunch of players who will enter their third seasons playing in Fangio’s defense. That will be beneficial.

“Being able to play in the same defense, for us this will be our third year now, it seems like there’s more and more things you can do each year as you go on and you figure out the ins and outs of the defense and how everybody works together. You can do a lot of different things, which we’ve been doing some of those things. And I feel like we’ve meshed well together and we’re playing a lot better together as we’ve gone on throughout the years in this defense.”