Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice gave us his latest mock draft as the 2024 NFL draft order is taking shape. The Minnesota Vikings are currently picking 15th. For Tice, this was the perfect chance for Minnesota to secure some long-term help in the secondary with Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean.
In this mock draft timeline, Brian Flores returns as Vikings defensive coordinator. DeJean, an incredibly versatile defender with outstanding athleticism, stays in Big Ten country and joins in on the blitzing and shifting coverage fun.
DeJean can be a Pro Bowl-caliber player at outside cornerback, slot or at safety, so let’s drop him in Flores’ lava lamp-like scheme and let him rip it up from everywhere. DeJean’s punt return ability is the cherry on top.
DeJean’s versatility is a perfect plug-and-play for Flores, as he can make plays from everywhere on the field. He can line up outside with the number-one receiver while having the athleticism to stay with your tight end or slot receiver on the inside. He rallies to the football and tackles well, which is necessary in Flores’ scheme. DeJean can be anywhere in the defensive secondary, and he will be able to make a play. Just to put a cherry on top, he’s an electric punt returner as well.
While the future of the edge room is also a huge question mark, bringing in talent like DeJean is not a bad route to go either.
