Thumbs up or down: Eagles beat writers weigh in on drafting Cooper DeJean

Howie Roseman said the Eagles had a first-round grade on Cooper DeJean, and I’m going to take him at his word. Does that automatically mean that the Iowa defensive back will develop into a quality starter? Of course not. But it does suggest that the Eagles acquired a couple of top-30 prospects for their secondary when DeJean was selected in the second round, 18 picks after they drafted Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell. Time will tell if the evaluations were correct.

I’m careful not to base my analysis on how draft analysts rated Mitchell and DeJean, however, or how fans viewed the first two selections. Both groups liked seeing the Eagles address a need and upgrade a secondary that was among the worst in the NFL last year. But did the Eagles get players who will make an impact for an extended period?

There’s a lot to like about DeJean. If he ends up at outside cornerback and excels, the Eagles may have gotten a steal. But if they project him at safety, the pick doesn’t have as much value. There’s nothing wrong with taking a safety at No. 40. And DeJean’s versatility gives the Eagles a potential piece who can play multiple spots. Malcolm Jenkins has been the comp I’ve heard the most. That may be a high bar for DeJean, but if told they just drafted the future Jenkins, the Eagles would take that every day of the week.

» READ MORE: Cornerback, safety or both? Cooper DeJean doesn’t care about labels. The new Eagle just wants to play.

I had this in my earlier story on DeJean, but there was mixed opinion on where teams projected the 21-year-old in the pros. Of the five high-ranking personnel executives I contacted, three said they thought he could play cornerback, safety, and in the slot. Two said they had him strictly as a safety. Roseman declined to assign DeJean a position and said that coach Nick Sirianni and his staff will take it as it goes with the rookie. But the internal expectation is that he likely ends up as a middle field defensive back, a team source said. Again, there’s nothing wrong with that, but it may take DeJean some time to adjust as he mostly played near the boundary in college.

I expect the Eagles to give him a shot on the outside, but he may be better suited to the post, box, or slot. As for his future, it remains unwritten.

The Eagles traded up to No. 40 and paid a premium in draft picks to land DeJean, a player who was projected by a variety of draft analysts to be a first-round pick. I had him listed as a strong first-round option for the Eagles in The Inquirer’s draft meter. Roseman said that the Eagles had DeJean graded as a first-round player, saying it was “rare” that the Eagles would be picking in the 20s and still land two first-rounders.

Roseman also got out in front of a run on cornerbacks, with three consecutive players at the position coming off the board after DeJean in Kool-Aid McKinstry (New Orleans Saints), Kamari Lassiter (Houston Texans), and Max Melton (Arizona Cardinals). Had the Eagles waited any longer, there’s a strong possibility their newest defensive back wouldn’t have been available at Nos. 50 or 53, their original picks.

All of that is to say, even though DeJean hasn’t played a down of football in the NFL yet, this seems like great value for the Eagles. You’ve probably heard by now that he’s a versatile chess piece (I’m going with a queen, the most valuable piece in the game, which can move in any direction). He can play outside, in the slot, and at safety. He’s also an outstanding punt returner. A former high school basketball standout, DeJean recently said he thinks he can beat Iowa classmate Caitlin Clark one-on-one, so it appears that he has the confidence of an NFL cornerback.

The Eagles need to get younger and faster throughout the secondary, and their top two picks in DeJean and Mitchell will help them achieve that objective. Last season was a brutal year for the Eagles secondary in terms of playmaking, ranking 25th in the league in interceptions. It struggled in coverage, finishing second-to-last in passing yards and touchdowns. DeJean had three pick-sixes in 2022 and allowed only one reception of more than 15 yards last season.

It’ll be interesting to see exactly how Vic Fangio elects to use DeJean in the defense. Regardless of alignment, he has the potential to bring much-needed ball skills and coverage abilities to the Eagles secondary.

» READ MORE: Eagles get the most versatile player in the NFL draft by trading up for Iowa DB Cooper DeJean