Last season, the Philadelphia Eagles ranked eighth in passing yards allowed per game and fifth in points allowed per game. On the Takeoff Podcast, retired Eagles cornerback Darius Slay believes the Eagles could have the best trio of cornerbacks in the NFL, pointing to the versatility and talent of each player.
"Definitely, with Coop moving down from safety to nickel. It's gonna be good for him. I think they're going to be one of the best secondaries in the league as always," Slay said. "Got two All-Pros back there. They got Riq, that's a real great guy that can track the ball down. So, it's going to be a very interesting year for that secondary. I think it'll be very great."
Quinyon Mitchell finished first among NFL cornerbacks in catch rate allowed (42.4%) and allowed no touchdowns. Mitchell earned a 74.4 grade from Pro Football Focus last season, 16th among NFL cornerbacks.
Cooper DeJean also did not allow a touchdown, leading all NFL slot CBs in PFF coverage grade, catch rate allowed and passer rating allowed. The two are the first Eagles cornerbacks to be voted first-team All-Pro since 2004.
Slay believes Riq Woolen's size and athleticism make him an ideal complement to Mitchell and DeJean.
"He's not like a tall, slow guy. So, I think this defense is going to be faster than it was last year," Slay said. "We're adding Riq to it, even though [Adoree] Jackson was fast, but you know, he was a little older. So, we got a younger guy with better height. So, I think this defense is going to be very fast, man."
Woolen stands 6-foot-4 and ran a 4.26-second 40-yard dash at the 2022 NFL Combine, a top-10 time in combine history. In his rookie season, Woolen was named to the Pro Bowl and was one of the NFL interception co-leaders.
Last season, Woolen helped the Seattle Seahawks win Super Bowl LX, where the defense held the New England Patriots' top-five offense to just 13 points.
Woolen allowed his emotions to get the best of him at times, drawing three taunting penalties in 2025. He acknowledged that he will continue to play with passion, but improving the mental side of the game and how he channels that emotion will be a focus with his new team.
"Once you make the play, just turn to your sideline and go over there," Woolen said. "You can never go wrong if you celebrate with your teammates. You can never go wrong if you just get to your sidelines to make a play because those are guys you want to celebrate with anyway."
