Philadelphia Eagles, Cooper DeJean
2026 NFL Top 100: Young Star Soars 22 Spots on List 1
There have been a lot of young stars soaring up the 2026 NFL Top 100 list. Whether players are making their debut on this list or seeing significant leaps in their ranking from last year, there are a lot of newer faces. One player is a young star who is also changing positions heading into the 2026 season. Let’s take a closer look at who it is and what it means for him going forward.
Cooper DeJean sees massive jump on 2026 NFL Top 100 list
Cooper DeJean, 2026 NFL Top 100Cooper DeJean, 2026 NFL Top 100
Jun 10, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean (33) runs a drill during minicamp at Jefferson Health Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The 2026 NFL Top 100 has seen some stars take massive climbs, and one of those players are Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Cooper DeJean. He climbed 22 spots from last year’s list to be 38th on this year’s list. NFL’s Bobby Kownack wrote the following blurb regarding Cooper DeJean’s addition to the 2026 NFL Top 100:
“DeJean built on a dream rookie season that included winning a Super Bowl with a pick-six in the big game by going on to make his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro team in 2025. The 23-year-old was a key piece of Philadelphia’s defense, which ranked top five in points allowed for a second straight year. He spent the majority of his time in the slot last season, but he’ll be taking on a new challenge in Year 3, as he’s set to play safety when the Eagles operate in a base defense. There’s little reason to believe he won’t rise to the occasion.”
DeJean had a strong sophomore season in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was named to his first career first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl. He started in all 16 games he played and recorded 93 total tackles (64 solo, 29 assists) with 16 pass deflections, four tackles for loss, one quarterback hit, two interceptions, and one forced fumble. With DeJean making the switch to the safety position, it makes the Eagles’ defense even more versatile heading into the 2026 season.
Below are the defensive backs who have been named to the 2026 NFL Top 100 list so far:
82: Pittsburgh Steelers S Jalen Ramsey
76: Carolina Panthers CB Jaycee Horn
75: Arizona Cardinals S Budda Baker
70: Green Bay Packers S Xavier McKinney
63: Baltimore Ravens S Kyle Hamilton
61: Chicago Bears S Kevin Byard
50: Los Angeles Chargers S Derwin James
47: Philadelphia Eagles CB Quinyon Mitchell
38: Philadelphia Eagles CB Cooper DeJean
The 2026 NFL Top 100 is a list highlighting the top players in the league ahead of the season. This list is voted on by the players during the previous year. Each weekday on social media, two names are revealed until we get to the top 10 players remaining. Once we get to this point, only one name will be announced until all 100 players are published on Friday, Sept. 4. It will be intriguing to see how many other secondary members are ranked ahead of Cooper DeJean on the 2026 NFL Top 100 list.