May 23, 2026
Eric Hartline/Imagn Images
Could Eagles DB Cooper DeJean play more safety in 2026 than he did at outside corner last season?
The Eagles moving Cooper DeJean to safety will have a widespread impact on the entire defense, just as moving him to outside corner on base defense downs last year and sliding him back inside on nickel downs allowed Vic Fangio to keep an All Pro on the field for nearly every snap.
Jimmy Kempski did a great job outling what the Eagles’ defense will look like and where DeJean will line up when the Eagles are in base defense (five-man front) compared to what it’ll look like and where DeJean will line up when the defense is in nickel.
Last year, the percentage of base defense the Eagles played was minimal. The Eagles actually faced the NFL’s highest-rate of 11 personnel – a formation with three wide receiver and one tight end – according toSumer Sports, a website that tracks personnel groupings and tendencies on offense and defense. They saw 11 personnel nearly 69 percent of the time.
Typically, Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio responds to 11 personnel with nickel defense to get an extra cornerback on the field in place of a down lineman. So the Eagles were in nickel last year way more than base. Per PFF, DeJean lined up inside on 78 percent of his snaps.
Could that change in 2026?
This year’s Eagles schedule pits them against several teams that were among the league leaders last year in multiple tight end usage, including the Rams, Cardinals, Seahawks, and 49ers among many others.
The Rams blew away the rest of the league last year in volume of 13 personnel (three-tight end personnel groups), playing it at a 30-percent clip, which coach Sean McVay evolved into as the season progressed.
When the Rams and Eagles met in Week 3 last season, the Eagles were in nickel about 70 percent of the time because the Rams played their No. 3 wide receiver – Jordan Whittington – more than their second tight end, Davis Allen. Over the course of the season, the Rams got way more 13 personnel heavy, a formula that really worked for them. They used a Day 2 pick in April on another tight end, so expect more of the same from them in 2026.
Having to play the Bears and Rams in Week 3 and Week 4, respectively, this year means the Eagles will face the team that played the sixth-most snaps of 12 personnel last year (Chicago) and the most 13 personnel snaps last year (LA) by a mile.
The Eagles will only have five games this year against teams that were top 10 last season in 11 personnel – the Titans, Cowboys twice, Jaguars and Texans.
The 49ers, who the Eagles play in Week 17, are typically the NFL leaders in 21 personnel, another two-receiver formation that puts a fullback on the field, a staple of coach Kyle Shanahan's offense. It's another formation that defenses typically counteract with base defense.
In last year's NFC Wild Card game at the Linc, the 49ers lost tight end George Kittle early to an Achilles injury, so Shanahan emplyed more three-wide receiver formations than usual to adjust. That allowed the Eagles to stay in their preferred nickel defense and kept DeJean inside (40 of 59 snaps) more than outside (19 of 59).
If these opponents in 2026 stick to their usual playbook, that means Fangio could employ an uptick in base defense, which would feature DeJean at safety more than he played outside corner last year.
But there's also in-game situations and game flow that often dictate the offense-defense chess match. The Giants last season played the seventh-highest percent of 12 personnel, which makes sense given the loss of star receiver Malik Nabers in Week 4 for the rest of the season to an ACL tear, but fell behind the Eagles early in their Week 8 clash.
Their 21-10 deficit in the second quarter forced the Giants out of their customary 12 personnel and lean on the run game into a more pass-centric 11 personnel attack. Their No. 3 wideout for that game, Lil'Jordan Humphrey, played 63 percent of the snaps, more than their No. 2 tight end, Daniel Bellinger (40%).
There are also games when Fangio decides to stay in nickel even against teams that feature multiple tight ends. In Week 2 against the Chiefs last season, Fangio played DeJean at nickelback on about 67 percent of the snaps even though the Chiefs alternated fairly evenly between 11 and 12 personnel.
It's anyone's guess week to week what Eagles opponents will do. Decisions will be based on the situation, injuries and where offense coordinators see the best matchups.
But given the track records and reputations of many of the coaches they'll see this year in terms of using big personnel – McVay, John Harbaugh, Ben Johnson, and Shanahan among them – don't be surprised if DeJean sees more time at safety this season than he did at outside corner last season.
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