A year ago at this time, it was the move that emerged as a fan favorite.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman had made a lot of great selections in the NFL Draft, but he had never landed a star cornerback and mostly had avoided using high picks on the position.
Eagles fans wanted that to change and it did in a big way.
Not only did Roseman take Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell in the first round with the 22nd overall pick, he also moved up in a trade with Washington to get Iowa’s Cooper DeJean in the second round with the 40th overall pick.
We all know how the first chapter of their NFL journey turned out.
After finishing 26th overall and 31st in pass defense in 2023, Roseman’s first two picks, along with veteran six-time Pro Bowler Darius Slay, allowed the Eagles to rise to become the No. 1 overall and pass defense in the league. The Eagles, of course, also won their second Super Bowl in franchise history.
Monday, however, we found out the band is being broken up. Slay, a league source confirmed, is going to be a June 1 release in a move that will save the Eagles $4.3 million in cap space.
Is it possible that Roseman will once again turn to the draft to improve at cornerback? Before last season the Eagles hadn’t used a first-round pick on a cornerback since Lito Sheppard in 2002. And before that it was another 22-year gap between Sheppard and the selection of Ben Smith in 1990.
The team has never drafted cornerbacks in the first round in consecutive years, but it’s possible they’ll do so in 2025 given that they are scheduled to make the 32nd and final pick of the first round and there figure to be some good ones available at that slot.
For a frame of reference, NFL.com projected Mitchell to “become a good starter within two years” and labeled DeJean as “will eventually be a plus starter” ahead of last year’s draft. It’s safe to say they both exceeded expectations during their rookie seasons.
Here are some draft possibilities for the Eagles at cornerback next month:
Jahdae Barron, Texas: He probably won’t last until the 32nd pick, but if the Eagles want to move DeJean outside full time, Barron would be the perfect replacement in the slot. He finished the year with five interceptions, a sack and 11 pass breakups. Pro Football Focus has him ranked as the second best cornerback in the draft.
NFL.com projection: Will eventually be a plus starter.
Shavon Revel, East Carolina: Revel could definitely slip into the late first round or possibly even the second round after suffering a torn ACL in September during a practice. At 6-3, he is extremely tall for a cornerback, but he showed outstanding playmaking ability with three interceptions and five tackles for losses in his final 15 college games.
NFL.com projection: Will eventually be a plus starter.
Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame: He had nine interceptions in his first two seasons with the Fighting Irish, but was limited to six games in 2024 by a hip injury. He projects well in the zone-oriented schemes that Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio likes to play.
NFL.com projection: Will eventually be an average starter.
Azareye’h Thomas, Florida State: He has good size — 6-1 1/2 and 197 pounds — and one of his strengths is press coverage. Run support, however, is one of his weaknesses.
NFL.com projection: Will eventually be a plus starter.
Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky: He opened eyes and likely raised his draft stock by running a 4.28 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine, the fastest among all players. He also looked good in a number of other drills, according to NFL.com. A shoulder injury kept him out of five games last season after he intercepted five passes in 2023.
NFL.com projection: Will eventually be an average starter.
Trey Amos, Mississippi: He played at Louisiana, Alabama and Ole Miss during a five-year college career. He had a tremendous final season at Mississippi with three interceptions, four tackles for losses and 11 pass breakups.
NFL.com projection: Will eventually be an average starter.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.
Bob Brookover can be reached at [email protected]