Packers draft darling turned Eagles rival shares honest opinion on Jordan Love ahead of playoffs

If fans had any type of say over what a team does in the draft, defensive back Cooper DeJean would probably be a Green Bay Packer by now. In the pre-draft process, Packers fans loved him and his versatility to play both cornerback and safety — two positions of need for Green Bay at that […]

Wendell Ferreira NFL News Writer
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Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean (33) reacts during the second quarter against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium.
Peter Casey-Imagn Images

If fans had any type of say over what a team does in the draft, defensive back Cooper DeJean would probably be a Green Bay Packer by now. In the pre-draft process, Packers fans loved him and his versatility to play both cornerback and safety — two positions of need for Green Bay at that time.

Well, Brian Gutekunst went with Jordan Morgan instead, and DeJean ended up with the Philadelphia Eagles. On Sunday, both teams will face each other in the wild card round, and DeJean showed real respect for Packers quarterback Jordan Love.

"I think with Jordan Love, it's just his ability to create plays," DeJean told the Rear View Podcast. "He's got a big arm, he can throw the ball down the field with great accuracy. He seems to always find the right guy, the open guy. He can throw from any arm angle, even when he got guys hanging on to him."

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Cooper DeJean has played mostly as a slot corner during the season, and stopping Love in zone coverage has been a real challenge. The type of defensive structure is a big topic of conversation, since the Packers' efficiency against man coverage hasn't been nearly as apparent.

"It'll be a challenge for us on defense to try and contain him, keep him in the pocket," DeJean added. "And we'll have to be tight in coverage as well."

DeJean has been one of the top cornerbacks in coverage this season, not only among rookies. He has allowed an 82.2 passer rating when targeted, an impressive number for slot-centric defensive backs.

As a rookie, the second-rounder played 550 snaps in the slot, 52 in the box, 16 in the defensive line, seven as a boundary corner, and one as a free safety.