After playing three seasons for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, Cornerback Cooper DeJean has declared for the 2024 NFL Draft. He will be one of the best defensive backs coming out of college because he was a 2023 Unanimous All-American.
He also won the Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year as the Big Ten Conference’s best player in that position. However, fans are commenting about him because the All-White football team Rashard Mendenhall suggested will have a solid option at cornerback.
NFL fans react to Cooper DeJean joining the upcoming draft
For proper context, former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall tweeted his suggestion of pitting an All-White versus an All-Black team to make the Pro Bowl more exciting.
Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!
This suggestion led football personalities like former NFL linebacker and current Bussin’ With The Boys podcast co-host Will Compton to list members of the All-White Team for this hypothetical matchup. Coincidentally, he already had Cooper DeJean on the list, even if he was still playing for Iowa.
Then came DeJean’s official declaration for the 2024 Draft, which he posted on X. He thanked head coach Kirk Ferentz, defensive coordinator Phil Parker, other coaches, teammates, and Hawkeyes supporters before expressing his intention to become a pro.
BroBible NFL writer Dov Kleiman retweeted DeJean’s announcement, leading a football fan to comment:
“finally the white team has a CB”
Another NFL fanatic responded:
“White team getting help”
Here are other reactions to DeJean’s draft declaration concerning Mendenhall’s Pro Bowl suggestion.
Dive into Sportskeeda's free 2024 NFL Mock Draft Simulator with trades across up to 7 rounds including user-to-sim, sim-to-user, and sim-to-sim trades. Powered by NFL Draft Expert Tony Pauline.
Aside from playing defensive back, Cooper DeJean is also a viable special teamer after winning the 2023 Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year award.
In three seasons at Iowa, DeJean has 88 solo tackles, 32 assists, and 13 passes defended. He also has seven interceptions, three of which he returned for touchdowns. He also returned a punt for a touchdown in his final year with the Hawkeyes.
Meanwhile, DeJean won’t be the only white cornerback in the NFL if he gets drafted. The Denver Broncos selected his former teammate, Riley Moss, in the third round of the 2023 draft. Former Stanford standout Ethan Bonner is also with the Miami Dolphins, while the Buffalo Bills’ Jordan Poyer was converted from cornerback to safety.
5 best NFL fits for Cooper DeJean
Teams that have given up a ton of passing yards this season could benefit from drafting DeJean. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are worst in passing yards allowed, surrendering 260.3 yards per game. The Washington Commanders are slightly better, giving up 259.3 per game.
Cooper DeJean will also be a good fit for the Indianapolis Colts and the Green Bay Packers, two teams that could use help in defending the pass. Likewise, these two NFL teams are close to Iowa, his home state.
Finally, he could be a great addition to the Cincinnati Bengals, especially if Chidobe Awuzie leaves for free agency in the 2024 offseason. The Bengals are fourth-worst in passing yards allowed at 255.2 per game.
Iowa Hawkeyes Fan? Check out the latest Iowa Hawkeyes depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place