Saquon Barkley’s Reaction to Cooper DeJean’s Shocking Nod

As July winds down, the NFL continues to reveal its annual Top 100 list heading into the 2025 NFL season. Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley hasn’t been mentioned just yet, but the star running back has been involved in plenty of commentary so far.

This week, Barkley had a chance to discuss one of his young teammates, Cooper DeJean, who was shocked to crack the NFL’s Top 100 list after just one year in the league.

“I’m in the Top 100? Really?” DeJean said with genuine shock. “That’s uh.. I mean, I don’t even know what to think. That’s pretty cool.”

Eagles linebacker Zack Baun lit up with a smile when he found out in the next scene of the video reveal. “Let’s go!” the veteran linebacker said.

As for Barkley, he discussed the most impressive factors that DeJean possesses.

“The most impressive thing about Coop is just the way he goes to work. The way he preps his body for practice,” said the All-Pro rusher. “You go into the weight room, and he’s in there first. He came in, and when things got rolling, he never looked back.”

Although DeJean didn’t become an immediate starter for the Eagles during his rookie season, the team realized he was too good to be stashed away. There came a point in time when DeJean was relied on to make some major plays for the Eagles, and he delivered.

As a rookie, DeJean had a viral moment where he laid down an open-field tackle against the Baltimore Ravens’ power back, Derrick Henry. While that was his most memorable regular-season play, Barkley and Baun pointed to a situation against the Cincinnati Bengals, where DeJean chased the star receiver Ja’Marr Chase around pre-snap before making an impressive tackle to prevent any gain.

Of course, the video montage was capped off with DeJean’s most famous play to date: A pick-six against Patrick Mahomes on the Super Bowl stage.

“I don’t think there’s a better way to celebrate your birthday than one of the biggest pick-sixes in the Super Bowl history,” Barkley finished.

DeJean’s biggest contribution of the 2024 NFL season was the first interception of his career. The Eagles were putting together a dominant defensive performance against the Kansas City Chiefs, and DeJean’s interception ignited the fire.

He finished the 2024 NFL season with 51 tackles, six pass deflections, one forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries during the regular season. In the playoffs, DeJean registered 18 tackles, four pass deflections, one fumble recovery, and an interception for a touchdown.

For more Philadelphia Eagles and NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.