Cooper DeJean among Pro Football Focus’ top 10 returning cornerbacks by grade
As we rapidly near training camp, the time to switch from presumptions, rankings based on potential, and hypotheticals are coming to an end as the reality of performances will take over the narratives.
But, before we get to that, there is a list that sees a member of the Iowa Hawkeyes right near the top of their position group nationally. That list is the top 10 returning cornerbacks based on 2022 Pro Football Focus grade courtesy of 247Sports’ Brad Crawford.
On that list fighting for the top spot as the best cornerback in the country is Iowa’s very own Cooper DeJean. He made a gigantic splash last year as he burst onto the scene seemingly doing everything from covering receivers to downing punts to returning punts.
While he does all of that, his best attributes lie within being the next great Hawkeye cornerback to man the backend of the defense. Here is a look at the top 10 returning cornerbacks ahead of the 2023 season.
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D.J. James - Auburn Tigers
PFF grade: 82.3
Last season, James led the SEC in both coverage grade and reception rate — and ranked top 10 nationally in both categories among cornerbacks. He’s a physical corner with tremendous closing speed. The former Oregon transfer made an instant splash with the Tigers and drew comparisons to former All-American ballhawk Roger McCreary on The Plains. By the end of the 2022 season, opposing teams were aware of James’ talent level and often threw to the other side of the field given his lockdown abilities. – Crawford, 247Sports
D.J. James has all of the intangibles that could lend to being a future NFL cornerback. That skill set is what lands him on this list. He is also here because of the constant onslaught he faces of speed and athleticism in SEC receivers week after week. James could provide the Auburn Tigers with a lockdown corner, which dramatically helps a defense looking to do its part in getting this team to the level they expect to be at.
Kool-Aid McKinstry - Alabama Crimson Tide
PFF grade: 82.5
Chosen as one of the top players in 247Sports’ college football fantasy draft earlier this spring, McKinstry has a chance to be the first cornerback taken in the 2024 NFL Draft if his development continues given his versatility. Blake Brockermeyer, a 247Sports analyst, previously noted his talent in the return game is underrated and he’s going to be one of the Thorpe Award favorites this fall. McKinstry is skilled in space, but did have an issue getting handsy at times in coverage as a sophomore. – Crawford, 247Sports
Kool-Aid McKinstry brings a lot to the table. The Alabama cornerback doesn’t just play corner. He returns the ball and does so at a high level. As said above, he has a knack to bring his hands into play and draw a flag, but if you can tame his hands, his aggressiveness can pay huge dividends.
Mansoor Delane - Virginia Tech Hokies
PFF grade: 82.7
Delane was a 247Sports true freshman All-American last fall after playing in eight games and making four starts at cornerback. He doesn’t have the reps most of these players included inside PFF’s top 10 have, however, but he was dominant in the playing time he did receive for the Hokies. The 2023 campaign should be highlight-worthy for the Silver Spring, Md. native. He led Virginia Tech with eight pass-breakups despite not being an everyday player early on in his first season. – Crawford, 247Sports
Mansoor Delane finds himself on this list for what he has the potential to be for the Hokies and not necessarily for what he has done so far. Delane will undoubtedly be expected to take the step from part-time player to full-time starter this year in an ACC that is littered with good quarterback play.
T.J. Tampa - Iowa State Cyclones
PFF grade: 83.1
Tampa was the highest-rated cornerback in the Big 12 last season, according to Pro Football Focus. The rising senior for Iowa State was targeted just 43 times in coverage, giving up 20 receptions for only 248 yards in 12 games of action. Tampa earned second-team All-Big 12 honors. He had only one interception, but posted a team-high nine pass breakups. Oftentimes, some of the best defensive backs are not high on the stat sheet. Tampa fits in that category. – Crawford, 247Sports
T.J. Tampa exemplifies that the less a cornerback is talked about, the better. Oftentimes cornerbacks are mentioned more for the plays they didn’t make rather than what they did. He shows how teams simply avoid cornerbacks and that may be the best case for a defense. The Cyclone will have his hands full once again in a Big 12 that is historically talented on offense and welcomes in a few new teams as well.
Chau Smith-Wade, Washington State Cougars
PFF grade: 83.1
Smith-Wade started every game in the secondary last season for the Cougars before a late-season injury kept him out of the bowl games. One of the Pac-12’s most consistent defenders, Smith-Wade’s coverage numbers were off the charts in comparison to his peers. Washington State will lean on him this fall to cover the opposition’s best players — and there’s a number of them in the top-heavy conference who are being targeted by a bevy of future early-round quarterbacks. – Crawford, 247Sports
Less heard from being all the way out in Pullman, Wash., Chau Smith-Wade has held his own in a conference that boasts some extremely talented and athletic receivers.
Smith-Wade will get to take on a handful of future NFL draft picks and those performances could skyrocket the lesser known Cougar into a category of a more household name among football fans.
Mike Sainristil - Michigan Wolverines
PFF grade: 83.2
According to Pro Football Focus, Sainristil missed just two tackles in run defense, and ranked fifth out of 237 Power Five cornerbacks in run defense grade. Via The Michigan Insider, he also ranked sixth among the group in pass-rushing production, and second in PFF’s pass-rushing grade. In coverage, Sainristil had some growing pains, allowing a team-high 446 yards in coverage over 14 games and allowing completions on 65.2% of targets (worst among Michigan rotation defensive backs). But over the Wolverines’ final nine games, Sainristil showed improvement, allowing 6.06 yards per target (compared to 8.61 in Michigan’s first five games) and 4.94 yards after catch per completion (compared to 8.5 in Michigan’s first five games). – Crawford, 247Sports
The first of two Wolverines appearing on this list bodes well for them in 2023 considering each of their corners is ranked among the top 10 returning in the country.
Sainristil has shown some cracks before as he had to find his rhythm last year, but once he did, he helped hold down Michigan‘s backend down the stretch. It doesn’t hurt that he may be the best tackler of the bunch.
Fentrell Cypress - Florida State Seminoles
PFF grade: 87.8
The Rock Hill, S.C. native comes off a remarkable 2022 campaign in which he was named second-team All-ACC and Pro Football Focus First-Team All-ACC as Virginia’s top defensive player. He had 39 tackles and a whopping 14 PBU, while allowing an NFL passer rating of 58.2 when targeted, according to PFF. Cypress was one of this transfer cycle’s top talents and chose the Seminoles over a host of offers. He’s part of why Mike Norvell signed an elite transfer class that could result in a conference championship this fall. – Crawford, 247Sports
Fentrell Cypress hasn’t played a down for the Florida State Seminoles yet, but his resume earned him a spot inside the top five returning cornerbacks.
Cypress is very aggressive with a tendency to have his hands on the ball a lot when it comes to him due to his knack to break up passes. He has the potential to be a lockdown corner for Florida State and give them a boost in what appears to be a more wide open ACC than often seen.
Will Johnson - Michigan Wolverines
PFF grade: 88.2
Per The Michigan Insider, it took a few games for Johnson to flourish at the college level as a five-star recruit in Michigan’s 2022 cycle. But once he did, there weren’t many cornerbacks in the country better than him, regardless of year. Over the Wolverines’ final nine games, Johnson allowed 4.9 yards per target and a collegiate passer rating of 75.3. He finished the year with 27 tackles with 2.0 for loss and three interceptions among six pass breakups, and was named a Freshman All-American by 247Sports, The Athletic and Pro Football Focus. – Crawford, 247Sports
A true freshman last year, Johnson burst onto the scene in a big way. The higher graded of the two Michigan Wolverines, Johnson gives their defense a lot of flexibility to get creative in blitzes due to their trust in their cornerbacks.
Cooper DeJean - Iowa Hawkeyes
PFF grade: 88.5
Per Hawkeye Insider, PFF announced that DeJean was the nation’s highest-graded cornerback in slot coverage last season by allowing a passer rating of just 11.5. His emergence at cornerback helped give Iowa a record-breaking defense. Last season, Iowa’s defense led the nation, allowing 3.99 yards per play — tied for the best nationally in the last 10 years. It was the Big Ten’s best since 2007 and the program’s best since 1981. In the last decade only 2016 Alabama and 2017 Alabama held their opponents to less than four yards per play. DeJean finished last season with 75 tackles, three for loss, 13 pass breakups and five interceptions. Three of his five interceptions were returned for touchdowns. He was also dynamic in the return game. – Crawford, 247Sports
As stated above, what doesn’t Cooper DeJean do for this Iowa defense and special teams unit?
More will undoubtedly be put on DeJean’s plate this year after the departure of Riley Moss to the NFL. Defensive coordinator Phil Parker will ask DeJean to be the leader in a talented, but slightly younger secondary than the Hawkeyes see at times. Expect DeJean to handle it just fine.
Kalen King - Penn State Nittany Lions
PFF grade: 89.0
Multi-sport stars tend to shine when given freedom in the secondary and King routinely shows off his athleticism on the outside as a former basketball player and track star. Playing opposite of 2023 NFL Draft pick Joey Porter Jr. last season, the two formed the Big Ten’s top duo at the position and opposing quarterbacks managed only a 48.9 passer rating against him, per PFF. He might be the nation’s best player overall at his position in 2023. – Crawford, 247Sports
While King’s 2022 campaign may not have been as flashy on paper as DeJean’s, that can be a good thing for cornerbacks. He had fewer tackles and fewer interceptions, but that could be a byproduct of teams avoiding him.
Less news is good news with cornerbacks and the next big news with Kalen King could be his future slot in the 2024 NFL draft. The Nittany Lions are one of the premier defense factories in the country and that reputation looks no different here.
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