The Philadelphia Eagles will have several holes to fill over the offseason. One of those holes will be at the second cornerback spot opposite All-Pro corner Quinyon Mitchell.
Veteran Adoree Jackson, 30, did an admirable job in that role for Philadelphia throughout the 2025 season, but he’s not the long-term solution at the position. The other players behind him on the depth chart struggled mightily when given opportunity this season.
Cooper DeJean wants to continue playing in the slot
Some have suggested that fellow All-Pro corner Cooper DeJean shift from his slot corner spot to the outside position opposite Mitchell, given his immense skills, but DeJean made it clear that he would prefer to stay put.
“I like playing inside, being involved in the run game,” DeJean said of what position he’d like to play next season. “And I feel like I have the abilities to do that at that position. But obviously, it's not up to me, but that's what I'd like to do."
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In just two years, DeJean has established himself as arguably the best slot corner in the entire league, so it makes sense that he’d want to remain at the position where he’s thrived. Plus, he’s one of the best tacklers on the Eagles, and that skill wouldn’t be utilized as much on the outside.
During the season, Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio acknowledged that he considered moving DeJean to the outside, but basically said he’s too good – and valuable – inside to move.
"We considered it. But when you have one of the better players at a certain position, and it's an important position where you get involved more, you hate to take a really good player at one position to maybe not be as good of a player or impactful of a player at another position. But it's definitely something that we've talked about,” Fangio said in October.
That same logic still applies. DeJean is very valuable for the Eagles on the inside and keeping him there makes sense. But, doing so means that the Eagles will have to address the outside spot, either through the draft, free agency or both.
There are plenty of intriguing cornerback options in the draft and headed for the open market, and identifying one (or two) that could fit well in Fangio’s system will be a priority over the offseason.
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