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The Philadelphia Eagles are less than a month away from the start of training camp. We’ll be counting down the 25 most important Eagles for the 2026 season.
25. Marcus Epps
24. Jake Elliott
23. Eli Stowers
22. Dontayvion Wicks
21. Moro Ojomo
20. Nolan Smith
19. Dallas Goedert
18. Jihaad Campbell
17. Zack Baun
16. Jalyx Hunt
15. Jordan Mailata
14. Jordan Davis
13. Riq Woolen
12. Drew Mukuba
11. Jonathan Greenard
10. Cam Jurgens
9. Makai Lemon
8. Quinyon Mitchell
7. Cooper DeJean
Cooper DeJean’s first two seasons couldn’t have gone much better. He had a pick-six against Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LIX as a rookie. In his second season, he continued to excel, earning his first All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.
It’s difficult to envision DeJean playing better in 2026 than he did last season. The dynamic slot corner was that good.
But you could argue DeJean will be even more important this year than he was in 2025.
DeJean’s versatility has always been a calling card for him, going back to his college career at Iowa. He’s been a Swiss Army Knife in every sense of the phrase.
Last year, DeJean logged 1,037 defensive snaps, per Pro Football Reference. The only player who had more? Linebacker Zack Baun, who recorded 1,038 snaps.
Of DeJean’s 1,037 snaps, 685 came in the slot, 245 were out wide and 138 were in the box, per Pro Football Focus. He was everywhere, and he was making plays. DeJean logged 93 tackles, 16 pass breakups, four TFLs and two interceptions.
But DeJean’s impact on the Eagles’ defense could be expanded even further in 2026.
The Eagles were left to fill a hole at safety after Reed Blankenship’s exit in free agency. Marcus Epps is expected to start alongside second-year Drew Mukuba; both players were featured on this list previously. But this offseason, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and others have hinted at a larger safety role for DeJean when the Eagles run their base defense.
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Now, the Eagles hardly ran base last year. Subpackages, with five or six defensive backs on the field, are basically the new base defenses in the NFL these days.
But DeJean is expected to get more work at safety in training camp. There’s even the possibility that someone else fills in as the slot CB and DeJean plays more safety in subpackages.
“I’m trying to learn,” DeJean said in the spring. “Obviously, there’s a lot more space than playing nickel and even corner. ... So it’s still taking some getting used to. But I feel like I’ve prepared myself since I got here to be ready whenever my number was called to play that position.”
Regardless of where he’s at, DeJean is going to be leaned on in 2026. And with a lucrative extension likely on the way next offseason, this is an important year for the 23-year-old.
Eagles News
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