A.J. Brown Trade Could Move Cooper DeJean To Safety If Eagles Can Acquire This Cornerback

Cooper DeJean playing safety seems like a pipe dream.

DeJean is a First Team All-Pro player in the slot, and one of the elite slot cornerbacks in the league. DeJean has yet to allow a touchdown pass in the slot, so why would the Eagles ever move him?

They wouldn't, unless there was a better option available.

The A.J. Brown trade could solve that problem, as Howie Roseman could get creative in finding a solution for his lack of depth at safety -- without even acquiring a safety. This is where DeJean comes into play.

Perhaps there's a solution where the Eagles could move DeJean to safety to start next to Andrew Mukuba as a result of the Brown trade. How in the world could the Eagles pull that off?

Acquire a cornerback in an A.J. Brown deal

The Eagles want a first-round pick back in a deal for Brown, and the goal is a first-round pick in 2027. While the Eagles are likely to get a 2028 first-round pick for Brown, perhaps there's a way they could get a cornerback back in exchange along with the draft compensation.

Brown is a premium player, an elite wide receiver. Why can't the Eagles ask for something valuable back in return?

Take a look at what the Patriots have to offer on their roster. Maybe the Eagles can pry Patriots slot cornerback Marcus Jones in a deal. Jones struggled last seaosn in coverage, allowing a 91.2 passer rating to quarterbacks as the primary defender in coverage. He also allowed seven touchdowns, but had two interception returns for touchdowns (one in the playoffs).

Jones does make plays in the slot, enough if he was on the Eagles they can put him there and move DeJean to safety full time. The Eagles can play Quinyon Mitchell and Tariq Woolen on the outside and Jones in the slot.

DeJean and Andrew Mukuba can play safety, making the Eagles secondary one of the best on paper in the NFL (the Eagles are in that conversation regardless with Mitchell and DeJean in the fold).

This is an opportunity for the Eagles if they could pull it off, but the draft picks are more valuable for 2027.

Will DeJean play safety anyway?

DeJean is going to be a safety in 2026, in a base defense.

Vic Fangio does use a base defense, but less than 10% of the time. The Eagles would rather go with three cornerbacks, as that's how the NFL has been trending. Fangio started that trend years ago.

DeJean will mostly play the slot, and why would the Eagles move him from there? He's arguably the best slot cornerback in the game, but the Eagles don't want to take a player like him off the field.

If the Eagles did try to add a proven starter in the slot with DeJean, moving DeJean to safety would be the best addition the Eagles could make. This is a pipe dream, but an alternative for the Eagles to consider.

DeJean will be an All-Pro anywhere he plays, as long as he's on the field.

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