The Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl last season and a big reason was the performance of Cooper DeJean. A second-round pick in last year’s draft, DeJean finished fourth in the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, collecting 51 total tackles and six pass breakups.
With an interception returned for a touchdown during the Super Bowl, DeJean is one of the building blocks of Vic Fangio’s defense. But OTAs brought a surprising twist to the Iowa product’s sophomore season and could leave him at a new position as the Eagles look to defend their title.
Cooper DeJean Could Play More Safety for Eagles in 2025
DeJean primarily played corner last season but Fangio suggested that he could see more at safety when talking to reporters at OTAs last week.
“We’d like to keep him at nickel, and then in our base package, we’ll find a spot for him, either at corner or safety,” Fangio said via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith. “A lot of it will end up depending on how the other guys develop and where we most need him. It will be determined by what’s best for him and what’s best for the team – and what’s best for the team will win out in that decision. But he’s capable of playing corner and he’s capable of playing safety.”
Moving DeJean to safety feels like a galaxy brain scenario. DeJean served as the nickel back in Fangio’s defense and formed a shutdown trio with fellow rookie Quinyon Mitchell and veteran Darius Slay. Slay left to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason and while Kelee Ringo is expected to fill his role, the Eagles would turn to Parry Nickerson if DeJean moves to safety.
Then again, there are parts of the move that make sense. The Eagles traded C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans this offseason and have Reed Blankenship and Sydney Brown slated in the starting roles. Philadelphia also selected Texas safety Andrew Mukuba in the second round of April’s draft, but DeJean could buy some time for him to get acclimated if he takes the safety position.
There’s also the benefit of positional versatility. If the Eagles suffer an injury, DeJean can slip in. If they stay healthy, it helps Fangio create more packages that could add a wrinkle to the defense.
Fangio insisted that DeJean has the talent to play both positions and will use training camp and the preseason to figure everything out. Still, it hints at big plans for DeJean entering his second season and could give the Eagles an advantage heading into next year.