Scouting Report: Cooper DeJean (CB) - Iowa
Sales Pitch: “Instinctual zone corner with excellent tackling and toughness in the run game. A former track star with good burst and speed, he brings alignment versatility to a secondary and return value to a special teams unit.”
Athletic Profile
Height: 6’ 0 1/2”
Weight: 203 lbs
Arm Length: 31 1/8”
Hand Size: 9 5/8”
40 Yard Dash: 4.46
10 Yard Split: 1.52
Vertical: 38.5”
Broad Jump: 10’ 4”
Short Shuttle: N/A
3-Cone: N/A
Age: 21
Relative Athletic Score: 9.85 / 10.00
Statistics
Career: 85 Tackles - 7 Interceptions - 13 Pass Deflections
2023: 26 Tackles - 2 Interceptions - 5 Pass Deflections
Strengths
Fluid athlete w/ good size for the position
Former track star with excellent play speed
Muscular frame w/ plus play strength
High IQ player with tremendous zone instincts
Quickly able to diagnose and close on routes in front of him
Movement skills and size to play man coverage on the vertical route tree
Good physicality and hand usage to disrupt releases at the line of scrimmage
Plus range and ball tracking when in zone coverage
Body control and sticky hands to secure passes
Willing and capable participator in the run game
Brings power his pads when tackling
Good leverage and pursuit angles when running the alley in run defense
Timing and first step quickness to be an impact blitzer
Brings return value on special teams
Weaknesses
Average lateral quickness and redirect ability
Struggles to mirror quicker players in man coverage
Limited man coverage reps in college
Average arm length
Limited press coverage reps in college
Summary
Cooper DeJean is a former 3-Star prospect from the state of Iowa. A former high school QB, DeJean was a multi-sport star, lettering in basketball, baseball and track in addition to football. DeJean is a highly intelligent and instinctual corner who is at his best in zone coverage. Iowa asked him to spend a majority of his time patrolling deep zones in Cover-3 and Cover-6. DeJean is excellent at diagnosing concepts in front of him and quickly closing out of his back pedal or half-turn. The former 100-meter state champ has the straight-line speed to stick with most skill position players in both zone and man. He has loose oily hips that let him turn and run at the line of scrimmage or adjust to routes entering his zone when playing off coverage. While Iowa didn’t ask him to take too many snaps in press coverage, he displays the foot quickness and aggressive hands to disrupt receivers at the line of scrimmage, typically when aligned as a Cover-2 corner. In his limited man reps DeJean exhibited the physical traits and reaction skills to hold his own. Although he did have his struggles when asked to mirror quicker players from squat coverage. DeJean separates himself from other corners through his involvement in the run game. His downhill speed and instincts that make him so impactful in zone coverage are also fully on display when asked to defend the run. DeJean does a fantastic job quickly diagnosing the run and running the lane with proper leverage. He has good size and physical toughness that allows him to bring force behind his tackles. DeJean’s ability to defend both the run and pass gives him the versatility to play safety and nickel corner, a spot where he can be an effective blitzer. Speaking of versatility, DeJean is also an exceptional returner on special teams. DeJean projects as a starting outside corner in a zone heavy scheme. His versatility on the backend combined with plus athleticism and run game impact give him a legit shot to be CB1 in this class. He may not be the traditional sticky man coverage CB that most teams covets but his tools and intelligence scream Day 1 impact player.