Former Iowa Hawkeyes Star Defender Receives Huge Praise

A former Iowa Hawkeyes star defender has received huge praise in the NFL.

Aug 24, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean (33) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lincoln Financial Field. / Caean Couto-Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes have turned out some very talented NFL players in recent years. One of them is current Philadelphia Eagles rookie defensive back Cooper DeJean.

DeJean was drafted by the Eagles with the No. 40 overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He was hyped up as one of the best defensive backs in entire draft class, but slipped down much lower than expected.

Most had anticipated that DeJean would end up being a first-round pick.

With the way that he has played so far duirng the 2024 NFL season, quite a few teams are regretting their decision to pass on DeJean. In fact, he's starting to receive some hype as a potential Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate.

Pro Football Focus recently published an article that stated the former Iowa star is emerging as a candidate for the prestigious award.

"Regardless, the Eagles have finally unleashed DeJean to create a young cornerback duo between him and Mitchell that should give defenses fits for years to come — a positive development in a division featuring Dak Prescott, Jayden Daniels and whomever the Giants find to replace Daniel Jones."

Philadelphia absolutely nailed the pick of DeJean. He projects to be a long-term star for the Eagles' defense.

So far this season in his rookie year, DeJean has played in 10 games. He has racked up 24 total tackles to go along with 0.5 sacks, a fumble recovery, and three defended passes. He has been extremely sticky in coverage.

At just 21 years old, the former Hawkeyes' standout has a lot of room to continue growing his game. The sky is the truly the limit for his future.

All of that being said, it will be interesting to see what kind of player he ends up becoming over the next few years. It has become clear that he is going to be a huge part of Philadelphia's defense and being able to contend for a championship.

Iowa fans will continue to root DeJean on at the NFL level. Hopefully, he can reach his full potential and become the superstar that many draft analysts thought he could be.