There’s potential superstar upside in DeJean
After shedding salary cap and a large percentage of elite mainstays, the Buffalo Bills are in search of difference makers wherever they can be found. In terms of collegiate talent, there isn’t much time left to conduct research — with just over a week to go until the 2024 NFL Draft.
Of course, selecting a player at pick 28 raises the question whether that difference maker is truly an available asset at that spot. The best way to help yourself gain the opportunity to draft a difference maker is to possess an open mind about a variety of positions.
The offensive players in this draft are high-caliber athletes with an especially unusual large number of offensive linemen set to be taken in the mid to late teens. It could be a record year for the number of offensive players selected in Round 1.
One of the primary blue-chip pieces in this class per some analysts is Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean. The Hawkeyes star broke his leg late into the 2023 season and wasn’t able to generate as much draft buzz leading into the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine — putting him at a disadvantage compared to his counterparts.
Boxing yourself into one position is never a good idea, and teams don’t work as hard as they do to build out draft boards just for them to focus on only one position group. If someone the team views as a true difference maker manages to fall, they should, in almost all circumstances, take that player over a position of need where the caliber of prospect is clearly below the other prospect.
Let’s jump into how DeJean’s on-field play translates to the NFL level and the Buffalo Bills by reviewing his game film from 2023. For this exercise, matchups against Penn State, Wisconsin, and Northwestern were analyzed from an All-22 angle.
Cooper DeJean NFL Scouting Report
Cooper DeJean is a true junior departure from the Iowa Hawkeyes program who quickly burst onto the scene as a sophomore with five interceptions and 13 pass defenses, while bringing flare as a physical run-support presence. He’s one of the more versatile players in the 2024 NFL Draft regardless of position because of his ability to play multiple spots across the secondary, while also boasting special teams prowess.
DeJean had become a true clutch player with game-spinning plays as a punt returner and as a takeaway machine for a feisty Hawkeyes squad. DeJean’s late-season injury due to a broken leg hindered his pre-draft abilities, but he was able to test a few weeks ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft — proving his worth as a high-end NFL-caliber athlete. He was named First-Team All-Big Ten as a defensive back and punt returner in 2023 despite only being able to play in 10 games.
Pro Day Testing
- 6’0” 203-pounds
- 4.46 40-yard dash
- 38.5” Vertical
- 10’4” Broad
Positives
- Explosive linear and vertical athlete with ball skills like a wide receiver
- Spectacular run support player who drives blocking receivers off their spot; has shown plenty of ability to quickly blow up games
- Explosion shows up as he carries downfield vertically with wideouts and attacking the ball in the air
- Smart, instinctual football player willing to take calculated risks to make the big play at the right time
- Does well to stay glued in the middle-of-field intermediate areas man-to-man; aggression at top of stem plays well here to stay sticky
- Best suited as a man or face-up defender where he can play a bunch of Cover 2 if he sticks at corner
- Skill set translates to outside/nickel corner and safety versatility with experience at all three of those spots; being positionless is a positive for him, as he’s played all spots at a high level
- Quality punt returner and gunner in college; will challenge/compete for starting spot with both of those roles in NFL
- Clutch-time competitive player who came up with huge takeaways and punt returns when his team needed it most
Negatives
- Takes extra steps in his gear down when playing off coverage; not a natural plant-and-drive defender at this time working off vertical stems
- Bail technique isn’t refined and may need to be covered up from having to do so at a high volume at the next level due to lack of electric start-stop
- Grabby/physical at the stem, which could result in penalties at next level
- Will need to do a better job of finding (and playing) the football on vertical shot plays to his coverage; plays through the man almost exclusively on those concepts at this time rather than finding the ball
- Doesn’t appear to possess great length on film
Cooper DeJean with throwing the blocker into the ball carrier pic.twitter.com/pwQDFRjbcZ
— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) April 8, 2024
Why Cooper DeJean Fits the Buffalo Bills
The Bills need to further add the potential of a game-changing talent to their roster from their draft classes. The most important thing the team can do is nail the 2024 NFL Draft with players across a multitude of positions who will be readily able to contribute early and for years to come. Young talent infusion and difference makers are two things this team continues to need.
In my estimation, DeJean qualifies as a difference maker who has bailed out his team’s putrid offense game in and game out for several years running. He’s a full-on team player who has unlocked himself at varying positions while being a special teams cornerstone. He’s also a great athlete on top of all of the characteristic traits.
If DeJean joins the Bills, they can deploy him in a multitude of ways with three safety looks to include himself, Mike Edwards, and Taylor Rapp. He could even be their starting safety from day one.
If the team is looking to move forward without Rasul Douglas after his contract expires at the end of 2024, DeJean could also be a potential number-one cornerback in-waiting while playing as a potentially dominant special teams player as soon as his rookie year.
Receivers are great, and this is an excellent class for them. But DeJean would bring a juice and energy to a Bills defense that could use an extra jolt. DeJean has game-changing upside in the NFL no matter which position he plays because he’s mastered the art of practically affecting a game in more ways than one.