Eagles’ defensive coordinator Vic Fangio clears the air on Cooper DeJean and his official role with Philly
Will they move him outside?
The Philadelphia Eagles’ No. 2 outside cornerback is still a major question mark heading into Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Philly had Mike Hilton in for a workout earlier this week, but they did not sign him. Instead, Eagles’ defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and head coach Nick Sirianni insist that Adoree Jackson is still their guy opposite Quinyon Mitchell even after a shaky Week 1 outing versus the Dallas Cowboys.
But while they might believe it, reporters and analysts don’t. Some even think the Eagles might settle for moving Cooper DeJean from nickel to outside cornerback full-time. However, Fangio was quick to shut that thought down.
“Preferably, we want to keep him at nickel,” Fangio said.
Cooper DeJean Took Reps at Outside Cornerback During Training Camp
The Eagles did cross-train DeJean on the outside during training camp, but he’s way too good on the inside to really consider moving.
For instance, in the Eagles’ 24-20 win over the Cowboys, DeJean shut down Dallas’ receivers. He was targeted three times, allowed zero catches, forced one incompletion, and held Dak Prescott to a 42.4 passer rating when targeted.
DeJean, a Eagles’ 2024 second-round draft pick out of Iowa, didn’t hesitate to make an impact as a rookie as a replacement to Avonte Maddox after Week 5 last fall.
He racked up 51 tackles, including three tackles for loss, half a sack, six passes defended, three fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble. He also had one interception returned for a touchdown in Super Bowl LIX. His overall performance was good enough to land him as a finalist for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Looking ahead to Sunday’s matchup against the Chiefs, the Eagles plan to start Jackson on the outside to get a better look at him. But if they find themselves trailing, don’t be surprised to see DeJean move around the field.
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