Eagles Can't Afford to Ignore Draft's 'Swiss Army Knife' Again

When the Philadelphia Eagles drafted Jordan Davis with their first-round selection two years ago, the organization passed up on Notre Dame’s top safety Kyle Hamilton.

Through two seasons, that draft decision looks to be a mistake. While Davis has performed admirably at times, Hamilton has become an All-Pro defensive weapon for the Baltimore Ravens.

USA Today

The Eagles can correct that mistake with one simple pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Cooper DeJean may not be the safety Hamilton was when he was coming out, but the “Swiss Army Knife” of a top Iowa Hawkeyes defense received plenty of snaps in the slot, safety, and outside cornerback position. Iowa used DeJean everywhere to great effect.

Now, DeJean is expected to be a first-round cornerback prospect with experience to play safety – a position of need still for the Eagles.

Under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, the Eagles will need athletic and versatile safeties to play in different coverages. Finding versatile players is hard, but getting them to play at an elite level is even harder.

With speculation that the team will address the cornerback position early in the draft, the Eagles could be in a situation that allows them to select DeJean to be the Kyle Hamilton of their new defensive back group – and usher in a new brand of defensive football altogether.

At the very least, DeJean could be the exact type of “Swiss Army Knife” that the organization ignored two years ago.