Eagles rookie Cooper DeJean sidelined with hamstring injury to begin training camp
The second-round defensive back is expected to miss about three weeks, as the first practice for the Eagles takes place Wednesday.
Eagles rookie defensive back Cooper DeJean was placed on the non-football injury list Wednesday because of a hamstring injury.
DeJean, a second-round pick out of Iowa, reportedly suffered the injury during offseason training and is expected to miss about three weeks, according to a league source confirming the ESPN report. Reserve wide receiver Shaquan Davis and offensive lineman Gottlieb Ayedze also were added to the NFI list Wednesday before the first practice of Eagles training camp.
Offensive linemen Landon Dickerson and Brett Toth were sidelined for the practice as well. Dickerson is day-to-day with a toe laceration, while Toth has a hamstring injury with a similar timeline.
Safety Sydney Brown also was placed on the physically unable to perform list while recovering from ACL surgery in January.
DeJean missed part of the predraft process because of a broken leg suffered in his final season with the Hawkeyes, but his current injury isn’t tied to the previous one. The 21-year-old recovered from the broken leg in time to participate in athletic testing a few weeks before the draft in a private pro day and participated in the Eagles’ organized team activities during the spring. He took reps at both outside and slot cornerback primarily with the second- and third-team defense.
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The Eagles traded up 10 spots in the second round to pair DeJean with first-round cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, hoping to bolster a secondary that struggled mightily last season with back-to-back picks. DeJean played from multiple alignments in college and was projected by some as a safety in the NFL because of his versatility. The Eagles deployed him primarily at cornerback, both inside and out, during spring workouts but have yet to label him going into his rookie season.
“Obviously, it sets him back to not be out here the first few weeks,” coach Nick Sirianni said Wednesday. “He’s going to have to get a lot of mental reps these weeks. I’m really confident that he’ll do that well.”
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman added: “We’re bummed. That’s our second-round pick. We want him to be out here in the first day. But we also think this guy is going to be here for a very long time.”
Especially with how much new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s system values versatility on the back end to help disguise coverages, DeJean’s ability to play multiple spots could become important to how the secondary operates. He eventually could compete with Avonte Maddox for the starting nickel cornerback job, although the injury will hinder his chances of overtaking the 28-year-old, who the team released earlier this offseason only to bring him back on a one-year deal.
With DeJean sidelined, Maddox should continue getting the majority of snaps as the first-team slot cornerback in training camp. Veteran corner Tyler Hall, who signed with the team during free agency, also likely will get more reps with the second team in DeJean’s place, although it’s worth noting that Mitchell got a handful of snaps from the slot during the first practice of training camp and in OTAs.