Bleeding Green Nation
Philadelphia’s slot cornerback is very promising.
One of my favorite things to do every offseason is to go back and compare my post-draft notes on the Eagles’ rookies with how they actually looked when they got on the field. It’s a fun blend of film study, self-evaluation, and a check on how well certain traits really translate to the NFL. I won’t be writing full scouting reports, as I did that after the draft. This series is more about reflecting on his rookie season. Did the player perform as expected? Did anything surprise me? And what do I think comes next? At the end of each article, I’ll give my updated outlook for that player in the future.
Previously: Quinyon Mitchell
One of the most intriguing rookies from last year’s class, Cooper DeJean, stepped into the NFL with plenty of hype and just as many questions about where he would play. You can find Cooper DeJean’s full post-draft review here.
You will see that I was a huge fan of DeJean going into the draft and had a firm conviction that he was worth a first-round pick. This was my post-draft summary of DeJean:
I think DeJean could make it as an outside cornerback, but I don’t really care where he ends up. I don’t know if DeJean is twitchy enough with his change of direction to be an elite outside cornerback, but I’m not really sure I care. He’s a fantastic player and will make plays at outside cornerback, nickel cornerback, or at safety. The Eagles need good young players in the secondary, so I would have been happy with him at pick 22.
After watching him some more since the Eagles drafted him, I feel pretty good about his chances at outside cornerback. I think he can do it.
My only worry with DeJean is that his versatility is to his detriment. Sometimes, teams can use players like DeJean to plug holes in their defense when they pop up due to injuries throughout the season. Whilst I understand this for the sake of the team, I think it can harm a player’s development. Vic Fangio’s system isn’t easy to learn for a rookie, and I would rather give DeJean a specific role to focus on and learn this year, before moving him onto other responsibilities.
Personally, I would use DeJean as an outside corner in year 1, and I think he’s ahead of James Bradberry and should start as the Eagles’ outside CB3 behind Quinyon Mitchell and Darius Slay. However, if the Eagles decided that he could immediately start as a nickel corner, then I would be fine with them starting him there this year. I love Avonte Maddox, but I think DeJean could keep him out of the starting lineup as a rookie because I really believe in this player’s talent. I wouldn’t look to move DeJean to safety unless he consistently struggles as a corner. ...
