An anchor of the Iowa defense the last two seasons, Cooper DeJean is likely to hear his name called in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He put up huge numbers in 2022 with five interceptions, including three pick-sixes, and was having another big year in 2023 before injuries cut things short.
But defense isn’t the only area DeJean starred. He also played a crucial role on special teams, taking 31 punts back for 406 yards and a touchdown over the last two seasons.
That versatility could be appealing to NFL teams. But to punter Tory Taylor – a special teams star, himself – DeJean’s desire to play on special teams while anchoring the defense is what makes him such a special player.
“I met with a team last night, and they said, ‘If you could bring anyone along with you, who would it be?'” Taylor told Andy Staples on Andy Staples On3. “They probably thought it was such a simple answer because he’s a first-round pick, but I kind of said to them, it’s not because he’s a great corner or a great football player.
“It was mostly just his willingness to want to play on special teams, which I thought was really important. Cooper could’ve, like at many other schools and as many players, said, ‘Oh, I don’t want to play on special teams.’ We had a couple of guys that are, it’s not gonna work out for them and I think that kind of shows. Whereas Cooper was like, ‘If you guys take me off punt, look out.'”
Tory Taylor: Cooper DeJean is ‘one of the greatest players that I’ve ever seen’
Through 10 games in 2023, DeJean had 41 tackles and two interceptions before he suffered a leg injury that required surgery. He also averaged 11.5 yards per punt return, and in his absence, Iowa averaged 9.0 yards in its final four games of the year.
That dynamic skillset made DeJean a valuable player for the Hawkeyes. To Taylor – the Ray Guy Award winner as the best punter in the country – that showed in the games he missed due to injury.
“You could kind of tell how much the team missed him when he left,” Taylor said. “He’s one of the greatest players that I’ve ever seen. I think Iowa fans probably didn’t really realize they were seeing while they had it.”
DeJean came in as the No. 17 overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Mel Kiper’s Mock Draft 1.0 on Jan. 23. He’ll try to improve his stock throughout the pre-draft process and has he comes back from his injury.
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