All-Pro nickel cornerback Cooper DeJean will play some safety, Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio says
The Eagles have a hole where Reed Blankenship used to reside, and his close friend DeJean will help fill it.
The Eagles don’t very often deploy their base defense — with four defensive backs on the field — but when they do so in 2026, an All-Pro will slot in at a new position.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said Thursday that the Eagles plan to turn to Cooper DeJean in their base package, and when DeJean moves to the slot in sub packages, there’s an “open” competition for who will start at the second safety spot next to Drew Mukuba.
The Eagles must move on without Reed Blankenship, who signed with the Houston Texans in free agency.
First up: Marcus Epps. The Eagles re-signed the 30-year-old to a one-year deal after he finished the 2025 season as a starter next to Blankenship while Mukuba was recovering from a right fibula fracture.
Fangio said Epps “is someone that will put up a good claim to” the starting gig. The Eagles continue their offseason program with organized team activities next week and have a mandatory minicamp in June before training camp begins in late July.
It’s possible that the depth chart will change before then and that the Eagles add some more competition to camp, but Fangio said he was impressed by Epps’ play last season when he was forced into action.
“I wouldn’t consider him an old player at this point, but he’s obviously a veteran,” Fangio said. “I’m not sure what his injury history has been, but I think if he stays injury-free and if he wins the job, we’ll be fine.”
That’s not a glowing endorsement, but it gave an indication that the Eagles have a pecking order right now.
It’s an important spot because that non-DeJean safety certainly will be on the field often. The Eagles, according to Sharp Football Analysis, used their base package 25% of the time in 2025 and were in sub packages for 75% of their defensive snaps.
DeJean, who was a first-team All-Pro at nickel in 2025, played outside corner in base packages last season. But the Eagles signed Riq Woolen in free agency and are planning to keep him on the field in base while moving DeJean to the back line.
The others in the competition with Epps include Michael Carter II, who will transition from playing mostly nickel, Andre’ Sam, J.T. Gray, and rookies Cole Wisniewski, Kapena Gushiken, Tucker Large, and Maximus Pulley.
Carter and Sam are the most likely to give a real push for the job.
Fangio said Carter, whom the Eagles acquired from the Jets in the John Metchie trade last season, is an instinctual player who he doesn’t envision will have trouble learning the new position.
“He just has to go out there and do it,” Fangio said.
The offseason program hasn’t allowed for much of that so far. Fangio said Carter has gone up against other defensive players and nonplayers during walk-throughs.
“I think we’ll know early whether he’s got the feel for it or not,” Fangio said.
As for Mukuba, Fangio said the 2025 second-round pick is coming along well with his rehab. He was injured in a Week 12 road loss to Dallas and missed the rest of the season. Mukuba’s first training camp was interrupted by multiple injuries, and his first few NFL games were a bit rocky. But Fangio said Mukuba had been coming on strong in the “five or six” games leading up to his injury.
“Hopefully, he’ll be able to pick up from there,” Fangio said. “He’s had a rehab-dominated offseason, but he’s been out there with us the last couple of weeks. He’s not 100% yet, but he will be soon.”
