Draft Darlings: Iowa CB Cooper DeJean is simply an elite football player

In Kansas City, this former Hawkeye could be used almost anywhere.

As we consider the Kansas City Chiefs’ draft prospects each season, we see a handful of NFL Draft prospects with multipositional backgrounds and skill sets, which creates a lot of discussion about how they will transition into the league.

This year, one such prospect is Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean. Here’s what you need to know about him:

Background

A four-star recruit from the tiny Iowa town of Ida Grove, DeJean received offers from South Dakota State, Illinois State and North Dakota State and Iowa — but his heart was with the Hawkeyes.

“The culture that they have there and their coaching staff has been around a long time,” he told the Des Moines Register. “It’s been on my mind for a little while. I’ve been thinking about what the best choice for me would be, and Iowa was it.”

Stuck at the back of a deep cornerback room in Iowa City, DeJean didn’t do much as a freshman — but by his sophomore year, he was a starter. He was expected to be the Hakweyes’ slot defender, but early-season injuries forced the team to put him on the outside; he registered 553 snaps on the boundary and 140 in the slot, collecting three pick-sixes, five interceptions and five pass breakups. He earned first-team All-Big 10 honors from the media and second-team from the coaches.

DeJean’s junior year was even better. He played in just 11 games before a fibula fracture in mid-November, but still dominated the Big 10. Playing almost exclusively as an outside cornerback (630 of 705 snaps), he was a consensus All-American and a finalist for the Jim Thorpe and Bronco Nagurski awards. While he registered only two interceptions, it was mostly because teams wouldn’t throw at him. DeJean was also a dominant punt returner, accumulating one touchdown return — and another that was overturned.

Because of the injury, DeJean was unable to perform at the NFL Combine or Iowa’s Pro Day. He did, however, hold a private Pro Day on April 8. He came in at 6 feet and 203 pounds with 31 1/8-inch arms, alleviating some concerns about his size and length. He ran an impressive 4.46-second 40-yard dash (with a 1.52-second 10-yard split) and posted a 38 1/2-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-4 broad jump.

Film evaluation

Even without overwhelming size, DeJean’s most impressive trait is his elite playing strength.

On every play, DeJean declares war on opposing receivers. When he jams at the line of scrimmage, wide receivers must alter their routes (or simply slow down) to deal with his physicality. At the top of routes, that same physicality makes it harder for receivers to change their speed or direction. At the catch point, DeJean makes up for his lack of elite length by using his strength to alter the catch angle at the last second.

DeJean is also a good athlete. While there are real concerns about his agility and change-of-direction skills, his explosiveness and size project well for an outside cornerback. He closes underneath and vertical routes well.

He is also very smart. Iowa runs a scheme-versatile defense that is largely based on zone shells — and DeJean excelled in each coverage. He’s able to operate in any zone coverage, but still has the versatility to press in man coverage. Part of this is because he’s an elite tackler, which allowed Iowa to also use him as a run blitzer or in underneath coverage.

How he fits with the Chiefs

The beauty of a player like DeJean is that he can fit anywhere. There is a real chance that in the NFL, he’ll end up in the slot (or at safety) instead of outside. His skill set is complete enough that he can play any defensive role.

With the Chiefs, however, this could make things a bit clunky. Trent McDuffie has shown he can play outside cornerback, but I’ll always prefer him in the slot. So if DeJean isn’t an outside cornerback, things could get weird — but I feel confident he could translate to safety very well. Since the positions have different weight value propositions, it’s hard to know on draft day whether a given player will be best as a safety or cornerback — but with DeJean, you’d know he can play anywhere.

The bottom line

I think that sometimes, the term versatility can be overused. Just because a guy has experience in multiple spots doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be able to do all those things at the next level.

Still, there are few players more versatile than DeJean. He isn’t just a cornerback, slot or safety. Instead, he is a football player. Players with his combination of strength, explosiveness and intelligence can always find a spot on any NFL defense.

I understand there can be concerns about taking a player without knowing exactly what he could be — but DeJean is a rare football player whose immense talent makes it worth the risk.

While they aren’t the same prospect, the DeJean conversations remind me of 2022’s conversations about Kyle Hamilton: is he a safety, slot corner or box defender? Who cares? Find the spots where he thrives and maximize his skills!

I trust defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to get the most out of versatile defensive players — something that’s allowed him to thrive in Kansas City. If DeJean ended up being the Chiefs’ first-round pick, I’d be thrilled about his possibilities.

Grade: Round 1