Reaction to Cooper DeJean Draft Selection

It took a day longer than some had predicted, but Iowa’s Cooper DeJean was selected in the NFL Draft on Friday, going to the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round with the 40th overall pick.

DeJean had been predicted to go in Thursday’s first round on a night that turned out to be dominated by offensive picks. He then slipped into the second round, where the Eagles traded up to get him.

The pick was given high marks by NFL analysts on Friday night.

The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner gave the pick a grade of A, saying, “Is he a corner? A safety? A nickel? It doesn’t matter. DeJean will find his way onto the field after a productive career, in which he played both corner and nickel at Iowa. He finished with seven interceptions (three picks sixes) and defended 20 passes in two seasons. DeJean (6-0, 203) also is an elite punt returner. The Eagles gave up a lot (Nos. 50, 53 and 161 for 40, 78 and 152), but it was well worth it.”

ESPN’s Matt Miller said, “In the 2002 NFL draft, the Eagles used three selections early in the draft to completely remake its secondary. I'm getting shades of that from what GM Howie Roseman is doing in 2024. DeJean was my No. 20 overall player as a versatile defensive back capable of playing inside cornerback, safety or even outside corner. He's a ball hawk with fantastic pick-6 ability, returning three of them for scores last year. The value and need are home runs.”

ESPN’s Tim McManus said, “Some project Cooper as a safety at the pro level, though there's a sentiment within Philadelphia's building that he can "do it all." DeJean proved to be a difference-maker for Iowa on defense -- he was named first-team All-American and Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year -- and was an impact punt returner as well.”

CBS’ Chris Trapasso gave the pick a grade of A-minus, saying, “Howie Roseman strikes again. DeJean is a fine tackler, dynamic athlete who can align anywhere and provides plus return ability. Fills a need in this secondary that needs reworking.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Devin Jackson said of DeJean, “At 40th overall, not only do the Eagles get tremendous value in DeJean, who was expected to be a late first-round selection, but also they get a player who can play multiple positions in the secondary. It all comes down to where his skill set can be best maximized, which probably played a big part in why he was still around at this stage in the draft. Nonetheless, the multi-sport star in high school and former quarterback has all the makings of fitting as a do-it-all secondary piece.”

NFL.com’s Eric Edholm wrote, “The Eagles somehow managed to trade up and land DeJean, who might be best in a nickel/safety hybrid role, to supplement their Day 1 pick of Quinyon Mitchell. Consider the secondary upgraded. DeJean could do for the Eagles what Brian Branch did last year for the Lions. This feels like a terrific selection for a defense that was way overtaxed by season's end in 2023. Plus, DeJean is a quality returner.”