As far as having your teammates invested in your future and recognizing your potential, it doesn’t get much better than Philadelphia Eagles cornerback/nickelback/safety/punt returner Cooper DeJean has it right now.
DeJean’s teammates are all in on his upside after the 2024 second round pick out of Iowa made the signature play in a 40-22 Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs with a winding, 38-yard interception return off 2-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes in the second quarter.
One of those teammates, NFL All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown, has even given DeJean a new nickname — “A.P.C.” or “All Pro Coop” — which could mean big things for the Eagles if he lives up to that.
“I thought (the nickname) was crazy,” DeJean told The Athletic’s Brooks Kubena on July 24. “But when he explained it to me, you know, he’s trying to speak it into existence for me. And that gives me something to work towards and come out and try and prove every single day out here.”
DeJean could be a Swiss Army Knife unlike an NFL defense has seen in a very long time in 2025. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has him playing nickelback, safety and cornerback this offseason in an attempt to keep all of his best players on the field. DeJean played almost primarily nickelback as a rookie, and the Eagles used the nickel package on over 80 percent of their defensive snaps.
Defense Leveled Up With DeJean in Lineup
DeJean’s addition to the starting lineup in 2024 can be pointed to as the moment where the Eagles defense truly leveled up. He started 9 games and went 8-1 with DeJean as a starter as he finished his rookie year with 51 tackles, 6 pass deflections and 3 fumble recoveries.
In reality, DeJean was one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks as a rookie and arguably its best nickelback/slot cornerback. He finished the season with an 81.4 overall grade from PFF, which was 4th out of 222 eligible NFL cornerbacks. DeJean also finished fourth in the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
The Super Bowl heroics also weren’t the only time he made a play that set tongues wagging. In a Week 13 win over the Baltimore Ravens, the 6-foot, 197-pound DeJean body slammed 6-foot-3, 247-pound NFL All-Pro running back Derrick Henry.
“That’s insane!” Sports Illustrated’s Alexis Chassen wrote about the tackle. “Defenders don’t usually just pick Henry up while trying to stop him from running them over, and there’s a reason for that.”
Eagles Staring Down ‘Unheard Of’ Value in Secondary
After both DeJean and 2024 first round pick and cornerback Quinyon Mitchell became full time starters as rookies, the Eagles are now staring down unheard of value in its secondary over the next 2 seasons.
That’s because both Mitchell and DeJean have another 2 seasons making big plays for the Eagles before they can sniff lucrative contract extensions — deals that could make them among the highest paid defensive players in the NFL after they’ve already spent several years as 2 of the best cornerbacks in the league.
Mitchell, the No. 22 overall pick, is playing on a 4-year, $14.8 million contract. DeJean, the No. 40 overall pick, is playing on a 4-year, $9.28 million contract.
