Cooper DeJean Already Recognized as Elite NFL Slot Corner After Just One Season
The Philadelphia Eagles have struck gold with their 2024 second-round pick, as Cooper DeJean has rapidly emerged as one of the NFL’s most dominant slot cornerbacks after just one season in the league. What makes his ascent even more remarkable is that he accomplished this feat while sitting on the sidelines for the first month of his rookie campaign.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently highlighted DeJean as one of the NFL’s premier “luxury players,” noting how his emergence transformed what was already a talented Eagles roster into a championship-caliber unit. The timing of Philadelphia’s defensive improvement wasn’t coincidental—it directly correlated with DeJean taking over the slot cornerback position.
The former Iowa standout’s impact was immediate and measurable. After sitting the first month of his rookie season, DeJean’s insertion into the starting lineup following Philadelphia’s Week 5 bye coincided with a historic defensive turnaround. The Eagles defense jumped from 26th in expected points added per play to first in the NFL, with the second-place Houston Texans ranking closer to 13th than to Philadelphia’s elite level.
From Week 6 onward, DeJean posted a minus-22.7 EPA allowed as the nearest defender in coverage, ranking second among all NFL cornerbacks with only fellow rookie Nate Wiggins ahead of him, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Even more remarkably, he didn’t allow a single touchdown pass on 68 targets throughout the regular season—a level of consistency virtually unheard of for a rookie cornerback.
His crowning achievement came on the sport’s biggest stage when he picked off Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and returned it for a touchdown in the Super Bowl, one of the defining moments of Philadelphia’s championship victory. Though DeJean recorded no interceptions during the regular season, his ability to deliver when the lights were brightest showcased the clutch gene that separates good players from great ones.
With veteran Darius Slay’s release, DeJean is expected to expand his role in 2025, likely starting outside in base defense while continuing his slot duties in sub packages. This transition might concern some, but DeJean’s college experience at Iowa suggests he’s more than ready. Throughout his collegiate career, he demonstrated the ability to play multiple positions in the secondary, moving around formations with ease and adapting to different coverage responsibilities.
During his rookie season, DeJean logged just six snaps in coverage as an outside cornerback, and notably, none during the postseason. This limited outside exposure means opposing offenses haven’t yet had the chance to game-plan specifically for him in that role, potentially giving him an advantage as he transitions to expanded responsibilities.
The slot cornerback position demands a unique skill set, requiring the ability to cover quick-twitch receivers in tight spaces while providing run support and handling occasional blitz assignments. DeJean mastered all these responsibilities with veteran-like poise, immediately grasping concepts that typically take rookies years to develop.
The question is no longer whether Cooper DeJean can be effective at the NFL level—his rookie season answered that emphatically. Instead, the focus shifts to just how high his ceiling truly is, and based on his transformative first season, the sky appears to be the limit for this emerging star.
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