Buffalo Bills 2024 NFL Draft top-30 visit: Analysis of DB Cooper DeJean

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NCAA Football: Iowa at Iowa State
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Will McDeane & Co. bring in DeJean to headline the next generation of Bills DBs?

The Buffalo Bills have met with Iowa safety prospect Cooper DeJean on a Top-30 visit. The Bills recently parted ways with numerous key members of their secondary and are looking to start fresh with new faces to help run the next generation of successful defensive backs.

Replacing the likes of fan favorites in Tre’Davious White, Jordan Poyer, and Micah Hyde is no easy task given their enormous shoes to fill, but DeJean would be a good start.

Per Ian Rapoport and Thomas DeLaus, the Bills were just one of four teams to have conducted a top-30 visit with Cooper DeJean — the others being the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Seattle Seahawks.

Let’s see what Cooper DeJean’s all about.

College Career

2021: Appeared in seven games as a reserve

2022: Second-Team All-Big Ten Conference; started all 13 games; 75 tackles, three TFL, five INTs, eight PBUs; led the nation with three interceptions returned for TD.

2023: First-Team AP All-American; Big-Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Year and Return Specialist of the Year; finalist for Jim Thorpe Award (nation's top DB) and Nagurski Trophy (nation’s top defender); only started 10 games, making 41 tackles, two TFL, two INTs, five PBUs.

DeJean’s Sophomore and Junior seasons at Iowa were electric. His play-making production are second to none and he comes into the draft as one of the biggest game-changers on defense.

2024 NFL Scouting Combine

DeJean didn’t participate in this year’s combine because he was still recovering from a fractured fibula. That injury is now completely healed and he worked out for teams recently at his pro day. Here are his reported testing numbers:

  • Height: 6’ 1/2”
  • Weight: 203 pounds
  • 40-yard dash: 4.46 seconds
  • 10-yard split: 1.52 seconds
  • Vertical jump: 38.5”
  • Broad jump: 10’4”

Cooper DeJean is a freaky athlete and he proves it with his most recent testing numbers via the recent pro day. That performance has him ranked as the top RAS scorer for CB in the 2024 class.

Highlights

Above, DeJean hauled in an over-the-shoulder catch during a contested-catch situation, and then turned around and reversed field to complete the pick-six. Unreal.

A string of plays that show DeJean’s play-making ability.

I know this is a football analysis article... but check out some of DeJean’s high school basketball highlights that show just how insane of an athlete he is.

Pros

  • Freaky athlete; can make plays from any position in the secondary and as a return man
  • Has natural ball skills, when the ball is in the air he goes and gets it
  • Once the ball is in his hands he can turn it into a score
  • Zone coverage instincts are off the chart
  • Has experience playing CB and safety

Cons

  • Hips can be a little tight when opening the gate to accelerate and run
  • Man-to-man coverage is average
  • His compact body and length might give him challenges when going against offensive players with more length

How Cooper DeJean fits with the Buffalo Bills

Head coach Sean McDermott would have an absolute field day with Cooper DeJean in his secondary. I see DeJean as a toy for McDermott to flaunt all over the field — from cornerback, slot, safety, or even in the box. He would thrive in the Bills’ defensive zone scheme and could even be lined up as a blitzer.

DeJean is a play maker and would give opposing offensive coordinators fits trying to figure out where he’s going to be during the play. DeJean is one of the few play makers in this draft who can have an instant dynamic impact on the defensive side of the ball. His return skills are just icing on the cake.

If DeJean falls to pick number 28, I would be surprised if the Bills didn’t pick him, even if a top-five wide receiver was still on the board.

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