On a 53-man roster, the more a player can do, the more attractive they become to any team. The ability to move around the field and play on multiple units is not as common in today’s game but when a player can do it successfully, it shoots them up NFL draft boards.
That would describe the Iowa Hawkeyes’ defensive back Cooper DeJean. The cornerback can play in the slot, float back to play safety and return punts as he is electric with the ball in his hands, while also tackling and downing the ball in punt coverage.
This sort of versatility has landed DeJean squarely among ESPN’s top 2024 NFL draft prospects. DeJean comes in as the No. 23 overall prospect in this draft class.
23. Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 203
A confident player in man coverage, DeJean has excellent speed, explosion and ball skills. I view him as a standout NFL corner, but the ability to move around on defense and become a top-notch punt returner doesn’t hurt his stock, too. DeJean was unable to take part in on-field work at the combine after suffering a leg injury in mid-November, though it is not expected to impact his rookie availability. – Field Yates, ESPN
DeJean did all of these things for Iowa and did it at an extremely high level. Coming from Phil Parker’s defense is also very attractive to NFL teams as the Hawkeyes run an NFL-style defense where players must be sound in their fundamentals and responsibilities.
All signs point to Cooper DeJean being the Iowa Hawkeyes’ next first round NFL draft pick. He has shown teams what he can do and now it is up to them to land a future star.
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