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Cooper DeJean, an Eagles rookie defensive back, will begin training camp on the Non-Football Injury List after suffering a hamstring injury during offseason training, according to a league source. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler was the first to report the injury.
DeJean, the 40th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, is anticipated back in about three weeks. That’s good news. The bad news is that the versatile Iowa product was anticipated to compete for considerable playing time as a rookie, and missing training camp will hurt his chances.
The Eagles, on the other hand, are taking precautions with the injury to avoid it being a chronic issue, as hamstrings can be, particularly for athletic, fast players like DeJean. DeJean played both outside and slot cornerback for the Eagles in the spring, and there is speculation that he might play safety in the future if necessary.
New secondary coach Christian Parker stated that the Eagles did not want to “take advantage” of DeJean’s versatility and will find him a positional fit. The initial thinking is that would be the starting position where DeJean might push expected starter Avonte Maddox, who has had his own set of injury difficulties in recent seasons. Philadelphia had a revolving door at slot CB last season, but GM Howie Roseman made sure he was well-stocked at inside CB this season.
In addition to Maddox and DeJean, the Eagles have free agent acquisition Tyler Hall, Zech McPhearson, who is recovering from an Achilles injury, Parry Nickerson, who has worked with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio before, Mario Goodwich, and undrafted rookie Shon Stephens.
DeJean was considered a potential first-round draft pick, but his stock slipped due to a fractured fibula suffered at Iowa during a November practice last season.
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