Tag: Cooper DeJean

Iowa Hawkeyes boast two of Pro Football Focus’ top 10 2023 Big Ten cornerbacks

Iowa’s corners are coming for that top spot. Pro Football Focus has two Hawkeyes among the Big Ten’s top 10 highest-graded cornerbacks.

Don’t look now but the Iowa Hawkeyes are turning into a bit of a factory for excellent secondary talent that performs in college and makes the jump to the NFL with quite a bit of success. The lineage of Micah Hyde, Dane Belton, and the newest NFL rookie, Riley Moss, are recent examples.

That assembly line led by defensive coordinator Phil Parker is well-oiled and shows no signs of slowing down this season either. Iowa’s Cooper DeJean and Sebastian Castro are two of Pro Football Focus’ top 10 highest graded Big Ten cornerbacks entering 2023.

DeJean is coming off a monster 2022 season which saw him haul in five interceptions and return three of them for touchdowns. He expects to be the anchor for this secondary and morph himself even further into an NFL first-round talent in next year’s NFL draft.

Any Big Ten list that doesn’t have DeJean right at the top after his performance last season is fair game for some criticism. While this list may snub him a little bit, it could be some bulletin board material as the season approaches.

Meanwhile, Sebastian Castro saw limited time last year but flashed when given the opportunity. The Illinois native contributed 22 tackles, one sack, and forced two fumbles in 2022. He is expected to take on a larger role in 2023.

Iowa is among a handful of schools that have multiple players on this list. The list is overwhelmingly headlined by the secondaries of Iowa, Michigan, Penn State, and Minnesota as these four schools occupy eight of the top 10 highest-graded defensive backs in the conference.

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2024 NFL first-round mock draft: 2023 NBA draft edition

Now that the 2023 NBA draft is done, what better time than now to run another 2024 NFL first-round mock draft?

Now that the 2023 NBA draft is in the bag, what better excuse can we at Touchdown Wire have to do another 2024 NFL mock draft? The 2023 college football season is still weeks away, and it’s the dead part of the NFL timeline, so while we don’t think we’ll see any insane deals like the one the Wizards and Suns pulled off (unless the Rams decide to get weird again), it is time to start thinking about what NFL teams will need after the 2023 season and after 2024 free agency.

This time, the draft positions are courtesy of the Pro Football Network mock draft simulator, with no first-round trades during the simulation.

Without further ado, here’s one version of how the first round of the 2024 NFL draft might look.

Cooper DeJean among 247Sports’ likely Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year candidates

247Sports listed Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean as one of its likely candidates to capture Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

Iowa football will always be associated with a few positions. You know that quality tight ends and offensive linemen come from the great state of Iowa donning the black and gold. Not enough people talk about the Hawkeyes’ history with defensive backs, though.

In recent years, Iowa has sent multiple defensive backs to the NFL, usually as pretty high draft picks. Just recently we saw cornerback Riley Moss go in the third round to the Denver Broncos in this past draft. Now, Iowa looks to have another great corner.

Cooper DeJean has received a lot of buzz heading into 2023 following his stellar sophomore year. DeJean led the Hawkeyes’ defense with five interceptions, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors last season from the league’s media. Expectations are even higher for 2023.

Raymond Lucas Jr. of 247Sports recently listed DeJean as a top candidate to be the Defensive Player of the Year in the Big Ten.

Iowa had one of last season’s best defenses. The Hawkeyes should be better on the offensive side of the ball and its defense should produce more of the same dominance, especially after retaining cornerback Cooper DeJean. He intercepted five passes in 2022 and returned three of which for touchdowns, which was a single-season program record. DeJean likely enters his final season playing college football and he could solidify his status as a first-rounder with a dominant junior campaign.” – Lucas Jr., 247Sports.

That’s right, folks. If you thought the discourse around Riley Moss was something last year, wait until Cooper DeJean gets the first round talk. If he has the year many are expecting, he should firmly be in first round contention.

Athlon Sports has already jumped on board, projecting DeJean to land with the Detroit Lions at pick No. 24 in their recent 2024 NFL mock draft. Touchdown Wire also forecasts DeJean as an early 2024 first-rounder to the Minnesota Vikings with pick No. 18.

DeJean finished the 2022 season with 75 tackles, 13 passes defensed and five interceptions, three of which he took back for touchdowns. He was also sensational on special teams, returning 10 punts for 165 yards and working as a gunner as well.

DeJean will headline a defensive backfield that features fellow starting corner Jermari Harris, safeties Xavier Nwankpa and Quinn Schulte and CASH Sebastian Castro.

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Athlon Sports mocks Cooper DeJean as first-round Motor City selection

How about another Hawkeye reunion? Athlon Sports is mocking Cooper DeJean to the Detroit Lions in its latest 2024 NFL draft projections.

Who wouldn’t love to see former Hawkeye great and reigning Butkus Award winner Jack Campbell teamed back up with star Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean?

After all, the duo combined to help produce arguably the greatest defense in Iowa Hawkeyes history. How about DeJean and Kwalick-Clark Big Ten Tight End of the Year Sam LaPorta back together again?

That’s precisely what Athlon Sports forecasts in its latest 2024 NFL mock draft as DeJean is projected to land with the Detroit Lions. In the 2023 NFL draft, the Lions selected Campbell in the first round with pick No. 18 and LaPorta early in the second with pick No. 34.

Here’s what Luke Easterling had to say about this possible pairing between DeJean and Detroit.

You can never have too many talented corners, and after trading away former No. 3 overall pick Jeff Okudah, the Lions could use another blue-chip talent at a premium position. DeJean has impressive size for the position, and put up strong numbers last year with five interceptions and eight pass breakups. – Easterling, Athlon Sports.

Based on DeJean’s first season starting, the Lions would be landing a star of the future with this pick. One of my hesitations in signing off on it would be whether or not DeJean will actually still be on the board this late in the 2024 NFL draft.

DeJean is already a collegiate star and his recognition nationwide should only grow now that he’s the lead figure in the Hawkeyes’ secondary. Fellow corner Riley Moss was just selected in the third round by the Denver Broncos and safety Kaevon Merriweather landed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent.

DeJean finished the 2022 season with 75 tackles, 13 passes defensed and five interceptions, three of which he took back for touchdowns. He was also sensational on special teams, returning 10 punts for 165 yards and working as a gunner as well.

Iowa opens its season on Sept. 2 at 11 a.m. on FS1 when the Hawkeyes welcome in Utah State to Kinnick Stadium.

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247Sports ranks Cooper DeJean as one of college football’s top-10 most explosive players

Iowa’s Cooper DeJean leaves zero question about his athleticism. As a result, 247Sports tabbed him a top-10 explosive player nationally.

Don’t think that the most explosive players in the nation are only on the offensive side of the ball!

While most people think of dynamic threats as wide receivers or running backs, guys who can break off a big play at any time, being an explosive threat is not exclusive to offensive players. On Carter Bahns’ recent list of the top 10 most explosive players for the 2023 season for 247Sports, he featured Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean at No. 8.

A versatile defender, Cooper DeJean started games at both linebacker and cornerback for Iowa last season and achieved a feat no Hawkeyes player had ever accomplished before; DeJean set a program single-season record with three interception return touchdowns. Of his five interceptions on the year, which tied for the 11th-most in the country, three were pick-sixes. DeJean picked up a first-team All-Big Ten selection from the league’s media and enters 2023 as perhaps the top pass defender in the conference. – Bahns, 247Sports.

The junior defender isn’t really one to be saddled with one specific position. DeJean is just an overall playmaker on the defensive side of the football who can improve your team almost anywhere you put him. Last year he did it all for the Hawkeyes. Whether it was at cornerback, at the CASH position, or as the best dang gunner you will find on special teams, Cooper DeJean was the one making the big plays.

As mentioned, DeJean not only intercepted five passes, he returned three of them for touchdowns. That is nearly half of the total touchdowns that came from Iowa’s quarterback position, as if we haven’t hammered home to you just how bad the passing attack was.

Through his phenomenal play both on defense and in special teams, DeJean had arguably a bigger role than anyone else in putting points on the board for Iowa last year. Punter Tory Taylor also deserves a shout out for that award as well.

Last year it took a while for some to view cornerback Riley Moss as a legitimate NFL option leading into the 2023 NFL draft. That won’t be the case for Cooper DeJean.

Anyone who watches Cooper DeJean knows that athleticism and making dynamic, game-swinging plays is not a problem at all for the Odebolt, Iowa, native.

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247Sports omits Cooper DeJean from list of defensive stars primed for monster seasons

Cooper DeJean burst onto the scene in 2022. Curiously, he was absent on 247Sports’ list of defensive stars primed for monster seasons.

Iowa City defensive backs are working their way into the same type of esteem that tight ends from the Iowa Hawkeyes are held in. Boasting potentially the best defensive back to ever come through Iowa City yet certainly helps that case.

Iowa’s Cooper DeJean put on a show week after week during the 2022 season. Down the stretch, he had opposing teams and quarterbacks choosing to entirely avoiding throwing his way as he turned mistakes not only into turnovers but into touchdowns the other way. He tallied 75 tackles, 13 passes defended, and five interceptions, three of which he turned into touchdowns.

The 6-foot-1, 209 pound defensive back recently received recognition from Athlon Sports as a preseason All-American. But, still, 247Sports curiously appears to be sleeping on DeJean in 2023. They left him off their list of college football’s defensive stars primed for monster seasons.

Inserting Penn State’s Kalen King into the list as a cornerback might be the most curious piece of all. The Nittany Lion had just 30 tackles and three interceptions last year. Each of those is just roughly half of the production DeJean put out.

Also included as a defensive back is Georgia’s Javon Bullard. The Bulldog had 46 total tackles and two interceptions last year. DeJean also easily eclipsed these numbers.

One train of thought is that DeJean has had a monster season, so it may be disqualifying him to be primed up and ready to have another monster season. You have to hope that’s the case at least, because the decision to leave out a defensive back in Cooper DeJean who is nearly unanimously already mocked as a future NFL first-round draft pick is intriguing to put it nicely.

247Sports did include the Hawkeyes in its list of the projected top-10 defenses entering 2023 back in April. Iowa checked in at No. 9 nationally on that list with fellow Big Ten foes Michigan, Penn State, and Wisconsin also featured.

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Touchdown Wire shares projected first-round 2024 NFL draft landing spot for Iowa CB Cooper DeJean

It’s a theme: Cooper DeJean receiving first-round 2024 NFL draft buzz. The latest to join the party is Doug Farrar with Touchdown Wire.

The 2023 NFL draft was a great one for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Four players came off the board within the draft’s top 85 picks, including a pair of Hawkeyes as first-round selections.

Defensive end Lukas Van Ness came off the board first to the Green Bay Packers with pick No. 13. Then, Butkus Award-winning linebacker Jack Campbell was taken No. 18 overall by the Detroit Lions.

The Lions liked that pick at No. 18 so much that they went ahead and doubled down on Hawkeyes with tight end Sam LaPorta in the second round at No. 34 overall.

Finally, the Denver Broncos selected Iowa cornerback Riley Moss in the third round with pick No. 83.

Now, as the calendar heads into the summer months and churns toward the 2023 college football season, there’s all sorts of 2024 NFL draft projections that are beginning to surface.

One thing will be a commonality across most 2024 NFL mock drafts: Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean is a budding star and he’s going high in the draft somewhere. Immediately after the 2023 NFL draft concluded, there was already a smattering of 2024 mock drafts that had DeJean’s name littered all over them.

Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire just revealed his latest 2024 NFL mock draft. Guess what? There’s Cooper DeJean again.

This time, it’s DeJean projected to the Minnesota Vikings with pick No. 18. Depending on how things play out there contractually, DeJean might be teaming up with a former Hawkeye under that scenario.

Just ahead of last season’s NFL trade deadline, former Hawkeye and Detroit Lion tight end T.J. Hockenson was dealt to the Vikings. Minnesota executed the fifth-year option on Hockenson, so he remains under contract with the Vikings through the 2023 season until he’s due to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.

DeJean enjoyed a magical first season starting with the Hawkeyes. The 6-foot-1, 209 pound corner racked up 75 tackles and five interceptions, three of which he took to the house for pick-sixes. DeJean also registered 13 pass breakups and three tackles for loss.

For his efforts, DeJean was named a first-team All-Big Ten defensive selection by the league’s media and a second-team All-Big Ten choice by the league’s coaches.

DeJean will headline a defensive backfield that features fellow starting corner Jermari Harris, safeties Xavier Nwankpa and Quinn Schulte and CASH Sebastian Castro.

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2024 Touchdown Wire mock draft sends Vikings Big Ten CB

With the uncertainty at the cornerback position, it will be a popular position for the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 NFL mock drafts.

As the offseason progresses, the amount of news dwindles before training camp starts. It is also a good time to look forward to the 2024 NFL draft.

Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire released a 2024 mock draft and has the Minnesota Vikings taking another cornerback high in Iowa’s Cooper DeJean.

A multi-sport star in high school, DeJean came to Iowa as a safety but was thrust into the starting lineup at cornerback. He was great early on, notching three interceptions and three pass breakups in his first four games. Not bad for a safety playing outside cornerback.

DeJean is a good athlete and finished the season with five interceptions, including an astounding three touchdowns. As we look forward toward next April’s draft, DeJean is going to be a name to keep an eye on, especially with the uncertainty the Vikings currently have at cornerback.

11 Hawkeyes garner preseason honors from Athlon Sports

The Iowa Hawkeyes have a hearty presence among Athlon Sports’ preseason honors. The Hawkeyes find themselves with 11 players recognized.

Athlon Sports recently released their preseason All-American and All-Big Ten teams and the Iowa Hawkeyes have their hearty presence felt up and down both teams.

Highlighting the names of the Hawkeyes is punter Tory Taylor making an appearance as a preseason first-team All-American. Along with him is Cooper DeJean finding himself as a preseason second-team All-American. DeJean also finds himself among the All-Big Ten teams in another position, exemplifying his versatility and what he means to this team.

The Hawkeyes have an offensive presence that includes the offensive line, running back, and of course, the tight end position. One glaring omission is transfer tight end Erick All as he doesn’t appear among any of the teams.

Defensively, the Hawkeyes are represented at every level from defensive line to linebacker to the secondary. One name not included defensively is bright up-and-comer Xavier Nwankpa.

Below is a look at the Hawkeyes appearing with these preseason honors and a glance at their production in 2022.

Cooper DeJean ranked as one of CBS Sports’ top 10 defensive prospects

Cooper DeJean is already drawing national attention as we approach the season. CBS Sports ranks him in their top 10 defensive players.

We know that the Iowa Hawkeyes are synonymous with “Tight End U,” but they are making a quiet case to join the discord around “DBU” as they continue to churn out stellar defensive backs year after year.

This year saw Riley Moss and Kaevon Merriweather go to the NFL. Last year saw Dane Belton go to the league. Those are just the three most recent in a long line of talent. Up next, and potentially the best of the bunch, is Cooper DeJean, who thrust himself into the spotlight in 2022.

His performance last year and another offseason of development under defensive coordinator Phil Parker have NFL teams and scouts already fawning over DeJean’s services next year should he declare for the 2024 NFL draft. It is hard to envision DeJean not going to the NFL after this season as he is among the top 10 2024 defensive prospects according to CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso.

Playing opposite longtime stud Riley Moss, DeJean was a rock star on Iowa’s defense in 2022. He rarely missed a tackle, housed three of his five interceptions and had eight other pass breakups. At 6-foot-1 and over 200 pounds, DeJean has NFL outside cornerback size. While maybe not a super-explosive athlete, he’s plenty agile enough to mirror decently well, and his football intelligence allows him to recognize when the ideal time is to pounce underneath a route. Clearly he was blessed with plus ball skills. – Trapasso, CBS Sports

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Among the top 10 prospects, the Big Ten headlines the list with four individuals named including DeJean. Also present is Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson, Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton, and Ohio State edge rusher J.J. Tuimoloau.

The ACC is present with three prospects ranked, two from the SEC, and one from the Pac-12.

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