Could Cooper DeJean be headed to Hollywood?
In his latest 2024 NFL mock draft for ESPN, Mel Kiper thinks so.
Kiper projected DeJean to the Los Angeles Rams with the 19th pick.
Fourth-round pick Cobie Durant was a revelation as a rookie in 2022, but he was inconsistent last season, and Derion Kendrick — taken in Round 6 in the same draft — didn’t take a step forward either. So while the Rams got a resurgent season from Ahkello Witherspoon, the veteran is a free agent, meaning there are big questions in this secondary. I see corner as their single biggest need.
DeJean, who would be L.A.’s first Round 1 pick since 2016 (yes, really), is my No. 1-ranked CB. He’s recovering from a broken leg suffered in November, but he still had seven interceptions over the past two seasons. That’d be huge for a defense that forced 15 takeaways in 2023, which ranked 30th in the league. DeJean isn’t expected to work out at the combine, but I still see him as a Day 1 selection. – Kiper, ESPN.
DeJean isn’t working out for teams this week at the 2024 NFL combine as he continues to work his way back from a fractured fibula. He did however say that he’s fully medically cleared and is beginning to run at full speed again.
“I’ll work out some time before the draft … sometime definitely before the draft, early April. I just started running full speed last week, so I haven’t been able to train like I want to,” DeJean said.
DeJean registered 120 tackles, 20 pass breakups and seven interceptions. He returned three of those seven picks for touchdowns. DeJean also had a 70-yard punt return touchdown last season in Iowa’s 26-16 win over Michigan State.
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