Eagles Have 3 of NFL's Top-23 Corners and Howie Roseman Got 2 of Them in the Same Draft

The Philadelphia Eagles have an embarrassment of riches on their roster, especially on defense.

But their cornerbacks room is legitimately ridiculous.

The Eagles had three players appear on the ESPN-compiled list of the best cornerbacks as judged by executives, coaches and scouts, which was unveiled Tuesday.

Quinyon Mitchell (No. 6) and Cooper DeJean (No. 10) were each featured on the top-10 list itself, compiled by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. But offseason free-agent signing Riq Woolen also appeared on the "others receiving votes" category.

The Eagles have ranked in the top-8 in pass defense in each of the past two seasons, including 2024 where they ranked first en route to their 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.

Fowler compiles the lists based on votes from 70 top execs around the league then ranks each player based on how he is perceived by those evaluators.

Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean Appeared on the List of top-10 NFL Cornerbacks

Fowler has been compiling this list for years, and it really is a who's-who of the best players -- maybe second only to the NFL's top-100 that comes out around this time each year.

So the fact the Eagles had two cornerbacks in the top-10, and that DeJean is on the best-corners list even while he's moving from slot corner to safety, is especially impressive.

"He holds his own at any position, on the inside or outside," a veteran NFC coach told Fowler of DeJean. "He's a corner because of the way he plays. [The Eagles] play a lot of man, and he ain't shying away from nothing. He has the range and speed to play outside all day, too. He's a Swiss Army knife."

DeJean may play safety during Philadelphia's base defense but will also play slot corner this year. But the fact the Eagles landed him and Mitchell, their lockdown corner, within 18 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, speaks to the wizardry of football czar Howie Roseman.

"He's tough [and] plays smart in big moments," a veteran defensive coach told Fowler. "Connected at the point of attack, which is one of the hardest things to ask for on a consistent basis. Will continue to get better and better."

The Eagles Added Riq Woolen This Offseason

Much was made about A.J. Brown's trade and how the Eagles offense would jell under first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion.

So you could be excused if you didn't remember Woolen's addition, on a one-year, $12 million contract that caused him to leave the reigning world-champion Seattle Seahawks.

Woolen stands to be an upgrade from No. 2 outside corner Adoree' Jackson, who opponents picked on throughout the 2025 season. But Woolen, who landed in the top-23 on the Fowler-compiled list, could be poised to make the Eagles pass defense even harder to work against.

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This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 7:56 AM.