ESPN analyst crowns Cooper DeJean as the best slot cornerback in the NFL

Cooper DeJean didn’t even crack the Eagles’ starting lineup until Week 6 last season. Now, an ESPN analyst says he might already be the best slot corner in the entire NFL. That’s quite the leap, but it tracks if you’ve been paying attention.

Bill Barnwell, who specializes in deep-dive analysis for ESPN, released a list of the NFL’s best “luxury players” this week. DeJean earned the top spot for slot cornerbacks. According to Barnwell, the rookie helped transform Philly’s defense the moment Vic Fangio plugged him into the nickel role.

ESPN Analyst Bill Barnwell on Cooper DeJean:

After ranking 26th in expected points added (EPA) per play on defense before the bye, the Eagles were comfortably the league’s best defense by the same metric afterward – the second-place Texans ranked closer to 13th than they did to first…

It would probably be unrealistic to suggest DeJean was the single driver of those improvements, but he certainly served as a revelation in the secondary. From Week 6 onward, his minus-22.7 EPA allowed as the nearest defender in coverage ranked second in the league, with fellow rookie standout Nate Wiggins the only cornerback ahead of him, per NFL Next Gen Stats. He didn’t allow a single touchdown on 68 targets. And while he didn’t record any interceptions during the regular season, you might remember what he did to Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl.

Cooper DeJean took over for Avonte Maddox and the Eagles’ defense flipped a switch.

They were 26th in expected points added per play before the bye. After DeJean became a regular, they finished first in that metric. The turnaround wasn’t all about him, but his presence mattered in a big way.

From Week 6 through Week 17, DeJean played more than 80 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. He allowed zero touchdowns on 68 targets during that stretch. He finished second in the league in EPA allowed as the nearest defender.

He didn’t pick off a single pass in the regular season, but made a huge one in the Super Bowl LIX when it mattered most.

Cooper DeJean Pick-6 in Super Bowl LIX

COOPER DEJEAN PICK TO THE HOUSE!

📺: #SBLIX on FOX
📱: Tubi + NFL app pic.twitter.com/y4Q4bGTHE2

— NFL (@NFL) February 10, 2025

Cooper DeJean brings physicality, vision, and awareness to the slot. He holds his own in run defense and doesn’t shy away from contact. He’s smart enough to read route combinations and fast enough to recover when a receiver makes a quick break. That’s the stuff that keeps nickel corners on the field in today’s NFL.

There are veterans with strong resumes who still deserve respect. Trent McDuffie in Kansas City has two rings and was named a first-team All-Pro while playing most of his snaps in the slot.

Marlon Humphrey and Kyle Hamilton continue to be monsters in Baltimore’s secondary. DeJean still has work to do to match that kind of consistency over multiple seasons.

Right now, no one is impacting games from the nickel quite like DeJean. He stepped into a struggling unit and helped turn it into one of the most efficient defenses in football. He doesn’t just survive in the slot. He thrives.

Cooper DeJean is making his case loud and clear. He might already be the best slot corner in the game. And the scariest part for the rest of the league is that he’s just getting started.

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