Once again, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman pulled off a coup based on the media draft boards.
Last weekend, Philadelphia drafted who many saw as the two best cornerbacks available, selecting Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell in the first round and Iowa’s Cooper DeJean in the second.
To land the latter, Roseman and the Eagles had to move up 10 spots from pick No. 50 to 40. To do so, they made a trade with the divisional rival Washington Commanders, giving up picks 50, 53 and 161 in exchange for picks 40 and 78.
Thanks to some behind-the-scenes footage from Philadelphia’s draft room, we can see the intense moments as Roseman attempted to negotiate a trade-up.
After the Rams took defensive tackle Braden Fiske at pick No. 39, Roseman let out an emphatic “Yes!”
The team quickly finalized a deal with Washington, leading to a round of applause in the war room.
“I think that’s what makes the draft so interesting and so much fun,” Roseman said in the clip. “You don’t know how everyone else sees things. We know how we see things, and you get into your own head where you’re going, ‘Everybody’s got to see it the same way,’ but it never works out that way. And I think that’s just what makes it an amazing three days and three nights of fun and a great opportunity to improve this team.”
The behind the scenes of Howie Roseman selecting Cooper DeJean is awesome!
(via @Eagles) pic.twitter.com/7ERHjMQfKK
— Crossing Broad (@CrossingBroad) May 2, 2024
DeJean was a two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection at Iowa, and he earned unanimous All-American honors in 2023 despite his season being cut short in November by a broken leg. Many saw him as a likely first-round prospect, but instead, he fell to the Eagles in the second where he’ll join a new-look defensive backfield.
