The Arizona Cardinals have two selections in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft and could target a cornerback, especially with their second pick, No. 27 overall. One of the top cornerback prospects in the draft, Iowa’s Cooper DeJean, impressed on Monday when he held a private pro day on Monday.
DeJean was unable to work out at the NFL combine and at Iowa’s pro day because he had not been cleared medically from the broken leg he suffered in November.
Known as an athletic freak, he backed up the reputation.
At 6-foot-0 5/8 and 202 pounds, he posted a 40 time between 4.42-4.45 seconds, depending on the team’s timer. His vertical leap was 38.5 inches and broad jump was 10-foot-4.
He is big for a cornerback. Some project him as a safety in the NFL but he is certainly a first-round prospect, whether he is a cornerback with safety skills or a safety who can cover like a corner.
In 10 games last season before his injury, he had 41 tackles, two for loss, two interceptions and five pass breakups. In 2022, he had 75 tackles, three for loss, five picks and eight total pass breakups. He returned three of those interceptions for touchdowns.
Most mock drafts have DeJean being selected somewhere between the 10th and 25th picks in the draft, which would mean the Cardinals miss out on him.
That said, he is an intriguing player the Cardinals might have their eye on.
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