Cooper DeJean CB Iowa: Scouting Report

Height: 6’1

Weight: 207

Overall

Cooper DeJean is a quick-footed cornerback in Iowa’s 4-3 zone heavy defense. In his 3 seasons with the Hawkeyes, he played in 30 games, starting 24 of them. He suffered a season-ending foot injury in November this past season and he will still be recovering throughout the draft process. He is a versatile defensive back and he lined up all over the field during his college career and was used as a returner on special teams as well.

Pass Game

In the pass game, DeJean played primarily as a boundary corner this past season but he has experience at safety and in the slot as well. He is physical in press coverage and he has very quick feet to mirror his man off the line of scrimmage and he does a good job of staying in the receiver’s hip pocket down the field. He took a few false steps on film but that can be fixed at the next level and is not a major concern. When playing man, he is fluid on film and makes good breaks on the ball but he gets too grabby at times at the top of in-breaking routes. He has good speed and has very good technique to get in phase down the field but he lacks the long speed and length to consistently defend against bigger, faster receivers deep down the field on go routes. In zone coverage, he has good vision and does a good job of reading the play and quickly breaking on underneath routes. When running downhill he shows the ability to make big tackles but he struggles tackling further down the field.

Run Game

In the run game, DeJean has the ability to make plays when lined up near the line of scrimmage where he can play downhill and quickly get to the ball-carrier but he struggles making tackles in space. When lined up on the boundary he struggles getting off of blocks and he does not show great effort in making difficult tackles at the second level. At times he will wrap up and show good technique when tackling but other times he uses his shoulder or fails to drive his feet after initial contact resulting in bad missed tackles.

Last Word

Cooper DeJean has experience at all levels of the secondary but projects best as a slot corner who can play man against smaller receivers and he can be used on the outside if the right matchup is there. His lack of physicality in the run game will limit his ability to play at safety and his lack of length may create problems on the boundary but his experience in both positions is very valuable moving forward. He plays with good technique and has the quickness to shutdown short routes which will make him very valuable on 3rd downs. His experience as a returner will make him an option on special teams to begin his career as well.

One-Liner: Cooper DeJean has quick feet and very good technique but his lack of physicality against the run and length to matchup on the edge will force into a slot/nickel corner role in the NFL.

Grade: 6.5 (Role Playing Starter w/ Inside & Outside Flexibility)

Games Watched: Iowa State, Wisconsin, Penn State

Team Fits: Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys