Cooper DeJean – Defensive Back – 21 years old – Junior – Iowa
Height: 1m85
Weight: 95 kilos
Estimated draft position: 15-30
NFL Comparison: Micah Hyde (Bills)
Cooper DeJean has played every position on the backline in the NCAA: outside and inside cornerback as well as safety. A few years before him, this University of Iowa had this same type of versatile player on the roster (2009-2012). Micah Hyde has since become one of the best safeties in the NFL but in college he mainly played cornerback.
This comparison does not mean that Cooper DeJean cannot remain a cornerback in the NFL.
Strong points
– Decisive
– Versatile
– Athletic
– Room for improvement
Coaches expect players on the defensive end to prevent receivers from scoring. In 2023 Cooper DeJean does not concede any touchdowns to his direct opponent! Even more important: knowing how to recover leather. With 7 interceptions between 2022 and 2023, Cooper DeJean was able to prove decisive for his team.
His playing intelligence allows him to play from anywhere on the back line. With the University of Iowa, he primarily played outside cornerback in a zone system. But he also played interior cornerback as well as safety in the box (Strong Safety). This versatility is a major addition when being selected by franchises using different schemes.
Cooper DeJean is an accomplished athlete. In high school he played football but also basketball and finished his studies with 1832 points! His explosiveness made him a specialist in dunks. He was also a star on the athletics tracks: 100m, 200m and long jump.
Already two seasons as a starter in one of the two best university conferences and yet Cooper Dejean is only 21 years old! And he got them on February 9, 2024: he will therefore only be 21 years old throughout his rookie season. This suggests a very significant margin for progress.
Weak points
– Fluidity of movements
– Man-to-man defense
Present on the athletics tracks, Cooper DeJean knows how to sprint. But his muscularity makes it more difficult for him to mark lively receivers suddenly changing directions. Evaluators look at the flexibility of the cornerbacks' hips because they must be able to continue sprinting while taking another trajectory. Cooper DeJean does not offer an optimal profile on this aspect of the job description.
Cooper DeJean is unaccustomed to defending in press. This tactic requires the cornerback to be lined up two yards from the opposing receiver before the ball is played (assuming that each player is lined up approximately 1 yard behind the faceoff line). The defender can then physically disrupt the receiver's route over the first 5 yards.
Cooper DeJean has the physical attributes to neither let himself be pushed down by the contact of a strong receiver nor to let him escape in a hurry. But when a player is used to lining up 5 or 6 yards (sometimes more) behind the line to observe the receiver's movement, this technique requires learning.
Possible destinations
Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions
Seattle's new coach is a fan of the Cover-3 defensive scheme. This system requires versatile players who know how to occupy different areas of the pitch. Additionally, Mike McDonald has shown with Baltimore in the NFL and Michigan in the NCAA that he likes to use players changing assignments after the ball is engaged. Cooper DeJean would be like a fish to water in this system.
After selecting Joey Porter Jr. in 2023, the Steelers should not stop improving their back line. The Green Bay Packers must rebuild the three interior positions: two safety and one nickel cornerback. In either case, Cooper DeJean would be a quality backup.
