The Hawkeyes saw Lukas Van Ness and Jack Campbell go in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft along with Riley Moss soon after. What if I told you they may have the best yet to come for the NFL?
When it is all said and done, there is more than a clear path for Cooper DeJean to be one of the best Iowa Hawkeyes to don the black and gold. Lofty expectations? Sure. Is the talent and potential there to do it? More than enough.
The 2022 season saw DeJean explode onto the scene, not just for Iowa, but nationally with five interceptions (three of which he returned for touchdowns) as a member of one of the nationās best defensive units. He is running it back in 2023 as the leader of the Hawkeyesā secondary and looking to expand on his already impressive play.
He oozes talent and athleticism. It has NFL teams already swooning over drafting him in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. Not only can DeJean play corner and slide back to safety, but he has punt-returning ability and is a menace on punt coverage which is even more important to NFL teams with limited roster sizes.
While there is the reality that he likely only has one more season as a Hawkeye, the silver lining is going to be witnessing his play week in and week out. Here are some early projections for Cooper DeJean from around the sports world in regard to his status on 2024 NFL draft boards.
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ESPN
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
ESPNās premier draft analyst Todd McShay has Cooper DeJean going in the first round to the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 23 pick.
Jacksonville hasĀ Tyson CampbellĀ andĀ Darious Williams on the outside, but both are free agents after the 2024 season. And it could use someone in the slot, too. DeJean has the versatility to play there before moving outside. Heās an instinctive playmaker with speed, and heās built like a safety at 6-foot-1, 209 pounds. DeJean had five interceptions last season, and three were…
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