Cooper Dejean Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Getty Images)

School: Iowa

Class: Junior

Position: SAF

HT: 6’1

WT: 209 lbs'

Sideline Prospect Ranking: #27

Background: Cooper Dejean is an incredible athlete from Iowa. He was a 4-star safety and a consensus top-200 player in the nation. He is originally from Ida Grove, Iowa and attended Battle Creek-Ida Grove High School. As a sophomore, junior, and a senior in high school, he earned Iowa All-State honors. He was part of a team that won back-to-back Iowa State titles. He lettered all four seasons in high school at both quarterback and defensive back. The incredible athletic background is nothing short of impressive. Dejean lettered in baseball, basketball, and track all for multiple seasons in high school. As an Iowa kid, he was mainly recruited by those Midwest schools, but Iowa was the main program that showed the most interest. It was apparent early on that DeJean would be a Hawkeye and he eventually made it official in 2020.

College: DeJean was mainly a special teams ace in 2021. He did it all on special teams. He was both a gunner and a returner. In 2022 he was plugged into the starting safety position and never looked back. He was named to the All-Big 10 Team. Not only has he been a dynamic star on the field, but in both seasons at Iowa he has been part of the Honor Roll. DeJean started in Iowa’s first ten games of 2023 before suffering a broken leg in practice. He won just about every possible award in 2023, including being selected as a unanimous First Team All-American.

Strengths: DeJean can play both cornerback and safety, but his skill set would be most utilized at cornerback. Cooper stays on the right side of the field, covering whichever wide receiver lines up across from him. Cooper is excellent in tight man coverage. He can cut quickly; his ankle and hip flexibility allow for quick change of direction to stay with the wide receiver no matter the route. His loose hips are shown when he transitions from his back pedal to his deep stride to cover those deep thirds of the field routes. DeJean plays football with a certain violence in each movement. When defending the run, he becomes a heat-seeking missile. He has a great feel for the game around the line of scrimmage, where he can launch into the backfield and wrap up the ball carrier for a big loss.

Weaknesses: When in pursuit of the football, DeJean can afford to take better angles. Cooper is also susceptible to fakes and a variety of double moves as he is too eager to make a play. One of the reasons DeJean so easily transitions from his backpedal is because he doesn’t get low enough. This can result in bigger receivers bullying him or simply beating him with physicality.

Conclusion: He is the best run defending defensive back in the class. His strength and effort make sure that he is going to impose his will on every snap. He will be a great playmaker at the next level and he will be a jack of all trades in the secondary.

Scheme Fit: Scheme Versatile

Ideal Role: Boundary CB/Safety

Best Team Fits: KC, CAR, IND

Player Comparison: Chidobie Awuzie

Player Grade: 87.0