A cornerback class littered with talent has been missing a notable name: Iowa’s Cooper DeJean.
There’s a good reason for his omission, as DeJean has been recovering from a broken leg suffered during his final season with the Hawkeyes. That time is over now, though, with DeJean cleared for football activities and set to participate in his pro day on Monday, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday, per a source.
After missing out on the NFL Scouting Combine — where DeJean was expected to be an excellent tester — the 21-year-old will receive an opportunity to show his skills in front of NFL teams. He previously ranked in Bucky Brooks’ top five prospects at cornerback prior to falling out due to inactivity, but DeJean will receive a chance to reclaim some of the hype he’d built entering the 2024 pre-draft process with this late-arriving pro day.
DeJean has been a popular player since his high school days, in which he chose Iowa as a four-star recruit, earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2022 and 2023, and was a unanimous All-American in his final campaign with the Hawkeyes, excelling at cornerback and as a punt returner. He’ll look to pick up where he left off with less than a month remaining before the 2024 NFL Draft commences in Detroit on April 25.