White Cornerback Named All-Pro
Cooper DeJean wins AP First Team honor as Slot Cornerback.
As I may have mentioned once or twice, for two decades in this century more or less all NFL starting cornerbacks were black. But then the U. of Iowa produced two fine white cornerbacks in Riley Moss, who has been a starter in Denver the last two years, and Cooper DeJean.
From NBC Sports Philadelphia:
Eagles cornerbacks Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell received the highest individual honor for NFL players Saturday when they were both named 1st-team selections on the 86th annual Associated Press all-pro team. ….
DeJean, 22, becomes the Eagles’ youngest 1st-team all-pro since 22-year-old tight end Charle Young made the team as a rookie in 1973. …
DeJean was honored in the relatively new slot cornerback category, which was created in 2023. He has played 657 snaps in the slot this year, according to Pro Football Focus, and 226 at outside corner.
For the last few years, the Associated Press has been honoring three All-Pro cornerbacks rather than the traditional two (while linebackers have been reduced from three to two). The slot cornerback or nickelback (as the 5th defensive back) typically covers the offense’s slot receiver or slotback who lines up between, say, the tight end and wide receiver. Some of the famous slot receivers of this century, such as Wes Welker, Julian Edelman (who I believe also started a playoff game as a slot cornerback), and Cooper Kupp, have been white, so it’s not surprising that DeJean has excelled at slot cornerback.
The Eagles drafted Mitchell and DeJean in the first and second rounds last year. That makes 2024 the first draft in which the Eagles have selected two 1st-team all-pros since 2002….
Mitchell and DeJean were both named to their first Pro Bowl team last month. … DeJean had his pick-6 off Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl and added two INTs this year.
Interception totals are way down compared to the Joe Namath Era, when the state-of-the-art offensive strategy was: “Let’s heave it deep and see what happens!”
Mitchell is the fifth cornerback to earn 1st-team all-pro honors without an interception. …
Mitchell had the 2nd-lowest defensive passer rating this year among 51 corners who were targeted at least 20 times at 64.3, according to Stathead analytics. …
DeJean had a 63.8 defensive passer rating when he lined up in the slot, according to Pro Football Focus. He had 16 pass breakups, four tackles for loss and a forced fumble in addition to interceptions off Jared Goff and Josh Johnson.
The Eagles had one of the NFL’s top pass defenses this year, allowing an NFL-low 56.8 percent completion percentage and just 14 passing touchdowns.
DeJean is the sixth corner named 1st-team all-pro at 22 years old, joining Mark Johnston of the Oilers in 1960, Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott of the 49ers in 1981, Arizona’s Patrick Peterson in 2011 and Gardner in 2022. …
DeJean out-pointed Derwin James of the Chargers 86-73 for 1st-team slot honors. …
The annual all-pro team is selected by a national panel of 50 football writers and broadcasters.
My theory has long been that cornerback being 100% black was an example of …
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