The Philadelphia Eaglesmay enter the 2026 season with what could be the NFL's best defensive back duo. Ask Riq Woolen, and he'll tell you that they're already close.
Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean burst onto the scene in 2024.Both have already earned First-Team All-Pro honors. Both have been Pro Bowl selections. They have helped lead Philadelphia to a Super Bowl LIX championship. Mitchell has already appeared on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026 list at No. 47, while DeJean is expected to hear his name called as the player-voted countdown continues.
The respect of their peers is unquestioned. The next challenge is earning the respect of the voters who determine the NFL's highest individual defensive honor. FOX Sports' Greg Auman recently included
DeJean among his eight early candidates for the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award as part of his feature, "The 100 People Who'll Shape the Upcoming NFL Season." DeJean joined an impressive group that includes Myles Garrett, Aidan Hutchinson, Will Anderson Jr., T.J. Watt, Kyle Hamilton, Derek Stingley Jr. and Patrick Surtain II.
"DeJean played everywhere in the secondary last year, but is likely set now as a safety in base defense and inside in nickel, still showing his versatility while staying as an every-down playmaker, a key movable piece in Vic Fangio's scheme."
Auman's inclusion of DeJean is certainly warranted, but the conversation doesn't have to end there. Mitchell deserves consideration as well. The two Eagles stars arrive at greatness in different ways. Mitchell has already developed into one of football's premier lockdown cornerbacks, one capable of erasing an opponent's top receiving threat.
The biggest obstacle facing both players isn't talent. It's history and trends we have seen with the award.
Defensive Player of the Year has traditionally favored pass rushers. Since 2000, only six defensive backs have captured the award: Ed Reed (2004), Bob Sanders (2007), Charles Woodson (2009), Troy Polamalu (2010), Stephon Gilmore (2019) and Patrick Surtain II (2024). During that same stretch, the award has been won by defensive ends/edge rushers 11 times and by a defensive tackle three times (all three times by Aaron Donald).
Full-time linebackers have won the award six times (some edge rushers are listed as LBs like T.J. Watt and Terrell Suggs). Simply put, DBs may not need to apply when pass rushers enjoy solid seasons.
So, on average, defensive backs have won the award once every five years, or, if you're thinking percentages, we're discussing a 20% clip. That doesn't mean Mitchell or DeJean can't buck the trend. If Philadelphia fields one of the league's elite defenses again and either defender produces the kind of splash plays that capture national attention (interceptions, forced fumbles, defensive touchdowns or game-changing performances in marquee matchups), their candidacies will be impossible to ignore.
History says defensive backs face longer odds than elite pass rushers. Then again, history also shows the award isn't out of reach. With two young All-Pros patrolling the secondary, the Eagles may have a better chance than most teams of ending another pass-rusher's reign.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Can an Eagles defensive back win Defensive Player of the Year?
