Is Cooper DeJean Lions' Cornerback of Future?

Could Iowa's Cooper DeJean be target of Lions at No. 29?

Stop me if you've heard this already: The Detroit Lions’ biggest need entering the 2024 NFL Draft (April 25-27) exists at cornerback.

Aaron Glenn's defense was thrashed against opposing teams’ No. 1 wideouts all this past regular season.

And, things were no different throughout the Lions' postseason run: Cam Sutton and Kindle Vildor struggled to contain the likes of the Rams’ Puka Nacua, the Buccaneers’ Mike Evans and the 49ers’ Deebo Samuel.

Subsequently, it's expected that Detroit general manager Brad Holmes will make a concerted effort to upgrade the team's cornerbacks room this offseason. And, he'll have a great chance to address the position with the Lions’ first-round pick this April (No. 29 overall).

Holmes could have a multitude of solid cornerback options at his disposal at No. 29, including Missouri's Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Georgia's Kamari Lassiter, Alabama's Kool-Aid McKinstry and potentially Iowa's Cooper DeJean.

DeJean hasn't been as frequently mocked to the Lions as the three other corners above. In a variety of recent mock drafts, the Hawkeyes product has been projected to be drafted earlier than No. 29 overall. The most popular landing spots for DeJean have been the L.A. Rams (No. 19 overall), the Philadelphia Eagles (No. 22) and the Green Bay Packers (No. 25).

If DeJean falls to Detroit, though, it'd be hard not to envision him as a target of Holmes.

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For starters, Holmes and the Lions’ front office have fallen in love with Iowa players in recent memory. Notably, Holmes & Co. took both Jack Campbell (No. 18 overall) and Sam LaPorta (No. 34 overall) in last year's draft.

Second, Detroit's front-office brass should be attracted to DeJean being an alignment-versatile defender who can impact the game in multiple ways, including on special teams.

Additionally, the 6-foot-1, 203-pounder brings a high level of tenacity on every snap. Sounds like a Dan Campbell-type player, right?

DeJean, who excels in both zone coverage and against the run, had a very productive final two seasons at Iowa. He recorded a combined seven interceptions (three returned for touchdown), 20 passes defensed and even a punt return for touchdown. He allowed a passer rating of just 49.7 and 37.8 in 2022 and 2023, respectively, too.

For his efforts in ‘23, he earned a variety of accolades, including unanimous first-team All-America honors, first-team All-Big Ten honors (as a cornerback and return specialist) and the Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year award. Along with all that, he received a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 77.4, a year after amassing an overall mark of 88.5.

I believe that DeJean possesses a lot of the qualities that the Lions desire in a cornerback. And, with that, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Holmes make the Iowa defensive back his selection at No. 29 overall.