Packer Central

DeJean Wanted to Run ‘Fast’ – Mission Accomplished

Iowa’s Cooper DeJean had his highly anticipated pro day on Monday. As expected, the athleticism was on full display.

Bill Huber

Cooper DeJean
Cooper DeJean / Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – Speaking to reporters before Iowa’s pro day a few weeks ago, star Hawkeyes defensive back Cooper DeJean – likely an NFL Draft prospect of considerable interest to the Green Bay Packers – was asked how fast he’d run his 40-yard dash.

DeJean let out a sheepish laugh.

“I don’t know. Fast,” he said. “Yeah, I just want to get back and be running full speed, to be able to run fast. I miss doing all that stuff – running, moving around, doing drills, being able to train on the field.”

Mission accomplished at Monday’s personal pro day for DeJean, who probably solidified his first-round status after not testing at the Scouting Combine or Iowa’s regular pro day following a broken leg sustained at a November practice.

According to The 33rd Team and other reports, DeJean ran his 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds on Monday. He added a 38.5-inch vertical leap and a 10-foot-4 broad jump. All of that at a sturdy 6-foot 1/2 and 203 pounds.

The 40 time was not a surprise to anyone. Rather, it was confirmation that one of the best players in college football also is one of the best athletes in the draft.

The workout probably didn’t impact his draft stock at all. After all, players who are expected to run fast and then run fast aren’t going to rise up draft boards.

More likely than not, a scout told Packer Central last week, DeJean will not be on the board when Green Bay is on the clock at No. 25. However, with two second-round picks and two third-round picks, general manager Brian Gutekunst has the ability to move up to get his man if he is inclined.

DeJean is still getting ramped up following the injury. Before Iowa’s regular pro day on March 18, he said he only recently started doing position drills.

“I’m pretty close” to 100 percent, he said. “These past couple weeks are the best I’ve felt.”

DeJean played cornerback at Iowa and was one of the best in the nation. In 2022, he intercepted five passes and ran three of those back for touchdowns. In 2023, according to Pro Football Focus, he allowed just 20 completions out of 46 targets. Opponents were rewarded with 4.2 yards per target. He had two interceptions and didn’t allow a touchdown.

Almost all his action during his college career came at cornerback. According to PFF, he played 705 defensive snaps last year. Of those, 23 were in the slot, 23 were in the box and one was as a deep safety.

“I believe I can play corner. I feel like with my ability, I can do that – speed- and size-wise,” he said. “But I feel like I also have the athleticism to play multiple positions. At the end of the day, it’s just about playing football. You find the ball, stop the other team from scoring.”

There’s no true consensus on his best position in the NFL. No doubt those thoughts vary by team. The Packers could use him at either spot.

“There’s been a few teams that have [me at cornerback],” he said. “And then there’s been a few teams who see me other places. Most teams think I can play multiple positions, which is to my benefit.”

If DeJean sticks at cornerback, he’d become the rarest of the rare. The NFL hasn’t had a white starting cornerback since Jason Sehorn, who had a couple dominant seasons and retired after the 2003 season.

DeJean isn’t looking to be a trailblazer. He just wants to play football, though he’s reminded of it frequently as he trains with other NFL players – including former Iowa teammate Lukas Van Ness – at Proactive Sports Performance in Westlake Village, Calif.

“I’ve heard it a lot,” DeJean of Sehorn. “Especially at the facility I train at, there’s quite a few NFL guys that train there. Some of the guys even call me that – like not even by my name. It’s kind of funny.”

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Bill Huber

BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packer Central, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.

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