The Philadelphia Eagles have spent years preaching patience with young players, but few recent examples illustrate that philosophy better than Cooper DeJean. Before becomingone of the NFL's most important defenders, the 2025 First-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler spent much of his first training camp working his way back from injuries and playing catch up.
That experience is exactly why general manager Howie Roseman recently pointed to his 2024 PFWA All-Rookie Team member when discussing rookie wide receiver Makai Lemon.
It's been one of the most discussed topics at training camp so far. The most recent NFL draft's 20th overall selection has been sidelined for an extended period with a hamstring injury during training camp, creating understandable
concern among fans eager to see the first-round pick take the field.
Roseman, however, offered a reminder that an interrupted summer doesn't have to define a rookie season. While appearing on a recent episode of Up & Adams, Roseman shared the message he recently delivered to Lemon.
"I talked to him the other day, and I reminded him of a rookie who was banged up in training camp a couple of years ago. His name's Cooper DeJean. You know him? He didn't play until our third preseason game. He didn't practice until then. He got hurt. He was hurt through the draft process. [He] got hurt during our minicamps, and [he] turned out to have a phenomenal rookie season."
Cooper DeJean's Eagles journey offers perspective
Roseman's point wasn't that Lemon and DeJean are identical players. It was that rookie development rarely follows a perfect script. DeJean entered the NFL as the Eagles' second-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft and missed significant time during his first offseason because of injuries. He didn't make his first NFL start until Week 6, but once he earned a larger role, he quickly became one of Philadelphia's most valuable defenders.
His emergence helped stabilize a secondary that was searching for answers. By season's end, DeJean had earned PFWA All-Rookie Team honors, finished fourth in AP Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, andwas graded as the NFL's top cornerback by Pro Football Focus. More recently, he landed at No. 38 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026 list.
Today, DeJean's versatility allows Philadelphia to deploy one of its most talented defensive lineups, whether he's aligned at nickel corner or moving around the formation to help the Eagles get their best 11 defenders on the field.
That success story is precisely why the organization isn't panicking over Lemon's current setback. Hamstring injuries aren't issues teams can afford to treat casually, particularly for explosive skill-position players. The Eagles understand that rushing Lemon back onto the field now could create larger problems later. As Roseman noted, the focus isn't simply on getting the rookie ready for the next practice.
"Let's make sure he's in a great spot to play really well in the first game and last game and contribute to this team because we're going to need him."
Philadelphia isn't evaluating Lemon based on a handful of missed training camp practices. If DeJean's rookie season taught the organization anything, it's that development isn't measured by where a player starts in August.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Howie Roseman points to Cooper DeJean as a blueprint for Makai Lemon
