Cooper DeJean

Eagles traded up with the Commanders to select Iowa CB Cooper DeJean with the No. 40 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Eagles sent Nos. 50, 53, and 161 to move up. They also received No. 78 and 152. DeJean (6’/202) was a star AAU basketball player in addition to being a two-way football star, playing quarterback and DB. A four-star 2021 fall camp arrival, DeJean bided his time as a special teamer before exploding on the scene in 2022 with a season for the Iowa ages. He started all 13 games while playing mostly corner, but also spent 140 snaps in the slot and another 91 snaps in the box to take advantage of his hybrid safety skill set. He recorded 75 tackles, 25 stops and five interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns. The Second Team All-Big Ten corner accounted for a microscopic 4% missed tackle rate (4th in FBS) with 2.8 adjusted yards per target which greatly contributed to his 89th% PFF defensive grade. DeJean was named to the coveted Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List prior to 2023 and delivered another praiseworthy campaign of 41 tackles, seven PBU and two interceptions before suffering a broken right leg that limited his season to 10 games. The Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year in 2023, DeJean shifted to corner full-time and flourished by limiting opponents to a 38% catch rate with a meager 44 yards after catch allowed on 20 receptions. Though he was unable to test at the Combine, Iowa’s CB1 ran a 4.46s 40-yard dash (80th%) with a 1.52s 10-yard split (90th%) and 38.5” vertical (88th%) for a 9.85 RAS. A full-sized cornerback who has unusual speed for his frame, DeJean is a terrific all-around athlete with a tone-setting attitude. He will immediately help Philly get their defense back on track after things came apart at the seams in 2023.