Philadelphia Eagles landing Cooper DeJean named one of the biggest steals of 2024 NFL Draft
It became only a matter of time before Iowa Hawkeyes’ defensive back Cooper DeJean heard his name called in the 2024 NFL Draft. After a little bit of a slide, by no wrongdoing of his own, Cooper DeJean was drafted No. 40 overall by the Philadelphia Eagles.
A team known for liking athletic, twitchy defensive backs was able to land DeJean in the second round, much later than most thought he would be available. He can come in and start right away. Pair that with his versatility to slide around of defense and bring explosiveness to the punt return, and it is clear why CBS Sports’ named Cooper DeJean as one of the biggest NFL draft steals.
Most assumed the Eagles were done addressing the secondary after capitalizing on Quinyon Mitchell’s Day 1 slide. But few anticipated DeJean would be available at No. 40, where Philadelphia opted to go back-to-back at corner in a move reminiscent of their 2002 draft, which netted longtime starters in Lito Sheppard, Sheldon Brown and Michael Lewis. DeJean’s springy versatility could also find him at safety or special teams as a top return man in 2024. – Cody Benjamin, CBS Sports
DeJean was drafted by the Eagles along with fellow cornerback, Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell. The two of them provide an instant injection of youth and athleticism to an aging secondary that was in need of talent and fresh legs.
Iowa fans know that Cooper DeJean has all of the NFL talent needed to hit the ground running. While his slide may have been a bit unexpected at the time, DeJean appears to have landed in an environment ripe for success.
Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.
Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7
