Eagles Analysis Teases What Is So Special About Star Corner originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Philadelphia Eagles knew they needed to address their secondary in the 2024 Draft. They did so in a big way through the first two picks.
First, the Eagles selected Toledo corner Quinyon Mitchell with their top round selection. Mitchell was a Senior Bowl and Combine standout with excellent speed and tape to be a true lockdown corner.
He was just that for the team during his rookie season.
In football miracle fashion, Philly traded up to draft Cooper DeJean out of Iowa in the second round. … and they hit again.
It’s still unclear why DeJean, a first-round graded guy for most of the pre-draft process, fell outside to Day 2. He had the versatility at both corner and safety to be an excellent contributor to any team.
And once he arrived here … given the chance?
That is precisely what he did.
Once inserted into the starting lineup in Week 5, DeJean’s work in the slot helped the Eagles become the best unit in football.
DeJean and Mitchell both made major impacts on the team last season. They are expected to make even bigger moves up in 2025.
DeJean, in particular, is an interesting case. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio spoke during OTAs and teased a new role for the slot corner this season.
“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.
DeJean’s versatility is expected to help the Eagles out a ton. He has the speed and athleticism to be used similarly to how other All-Pros like Kyle Hamilton of the Ravens are used on Sundays.
And if it all works? It will keep Philly’s special defense plowing through the rest of the league for the foreseeable future.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.