It’s no secret that the Philadelphia Eagles struck gold when they drafted defensive back Cooper DeJean in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Through eight games, DeJean has recorded 52 tackles, six passes defended, and 3.5 tackles for loss, positioning him to easily exceed his production from 2024.

DeJean has even impressed defensive coordinator Vic Fangio so much that he says there’s no one in the NFL he can truly compare him to.

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“No, we got very lucky that he lasted till the middle of the second round,” Fangio said. “I think the reason he did is because he only played corner in college, at least his last year. I don’t think everybody was sure [if he] was he a first-round corner, second-round corner, third-round corner. I don’t think the league as a whole had a feel for his versatility because he didn’t play it in college. He’s really a damn good nickel. Probably one of the best nickels in the league, and we’re playing him at corner in the base. He could play safety if we needed him to. He’s a defensive back, but really, he’s just a good football player.”

Eagles have no plans to move Cooper DeJean outside full-time

It’s been an overall interesting season for the Eagles’ secondary as they’ve struggled to find a reliable outside cornerback No. 2 opposite Quinyon Mitchell.

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Of course, DeJean has the skills to fill that role, and has even done so at times, but Fangio isn’t willing to move him from the nickel spot, where he’s simply too effective to take off the field.

“We considered it,” Fangio said. “But, when you have one of the better players at a certain position and it’s an important position, where you get involved more. You hate to take a really good player at one position to maybe not be as good a player or impactful of a player at another position. It’s definitely something we’ve talked about.”

Instead, the Eagles have had to rely on Adoree Jackson and Kelee Ringo, which has been far from a pretty sight. The good news is that Jakorian Bennett should be healthy and ready to go after the Bye.

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This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Oct 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.