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When the Philadelphia Eagles traded up to select Cooper DeJean with the 40th-overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, fans had sky-high expectations for the dynamic defensive back out of Iowa, regardless of how he ended up getting on the field.
Would he stick at perimeter cornerback, the most important position in the defensive backfield and a role he played exceptionally well in college? Or would he instead kick it inside to play slot cornerback or even safety, where his explosive playmaking instincts would allow him to impact the run game, the passing game, and even get involved as a blitzer?
Well, as it turns out, the real way DeJean would hear his number called is as a return man, as after watching Britain Covey go down with a broken shoulder, he's expected to ascend to the top spot on Michael Clay's special teams unit as a punt returner for at least the next few weeks.
Asked what it's like to jump from defense, where he'd only logged seven snaps after missing much of camp, to a full-time return man role by reporters ahead of Week 4, DeJean noted he's excited about the opportunity, even if it's going to be challenging.
“Yeah, it was,” DeJean explained via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I was a little nervous at first because I hadn’t done it in a game in a while. It was good to be back there.”
Turning his attention to the nuts and bolts of his return style, DeJean noted that he wants to stay aggressive as a return man but not at the expense of his main job, ball security.
“Pretty aggressive. That’s how I’d describe it,” DeJean said. “Just trying to get what I can, while also being smart. Gotta take care of the ball. That’s the main thing.”
Michael Clay believes Cooper DeJean can succeed for the Eagles
Discussing the prospects of DeJean becoming the Eagles' new punt returner moving forward, special teams coach Michael Clay celebrated his talents, as he was a darn good player back at Iowa.
“He did a job in his career at Iowa. Very fundamentally sound. He tracks the ball very well in terms of seeing it off the punter’s foot. Being thrust in there against a very good special teams unit, I don’t think he blinked,” Clay told reporters. “He did a really good job with the fair catch down to the left. And he also showed that he could make a couple people miss down there. Getting that ball from the 9 to the 15 helps out in that field position and takes the pressure a little bit off the offense. They don’t have to start backed up, a little bit more breathing room. We are going to get whoever we need ready to fill in that role. But again, [DB] Cooper [DeJean], we’re going to get him ready. Going to get the confidence up and hopefully, if he does have the opportunity, he’s able to show his skill.”
At Iowa, DeJean recorded returned 31 punts for 406 yards and a touchdown. While only time will tell if he can average 13.1 yards per return for the Eagles, it will be exciting to see how DeJean translates to the position moving forward, as his dynamic playmaking abilities are incredibly exciting at a position of need.
