Seattle Seahawks Top-30 Visits: Courting Cooper DeJean to Join Talented Secondary?

Offering the best ball skills in this year's draft class, Cooper DeJean's instincts and versatility could make him a top target for the Seattle Seahawks despite having bigger immediate needs on the roster.

Dec 31, 2022; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Cooper DeJean (3) returns an / Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Keeping all options on the table as the 2024 NFL Draft rapidly approaches, the Seattle Seahawks brought one of the most dynamic playmakers in this year's class in for a visit.

As confirmed on the player's Instagram story, Iowa standout defensive back Cooper DeJean flew out to Seattle for a top-30 visit with team brass on Monday. He also reportedly visited the Eagles and Steelers recently among interested suitors.

A former all-state talent in football and basketball at OABCIG High School, DeJean stayed in state by committing to Iowa and quickly emerged as one of the nation's top cornerbacks. After only appearing in two games as a freshman, he burst onto the scene with a breakout sophomore year for the Hawkeyes, intercepting five passes and returning three of them for touchdowns, showcasing himself as a scoring machine on defense.

Last season, DeJean intercepted two passes and returned a punt for a touchdown before suffering a broken leg during practice in November, which ended his final season in Iowa City prematurely and prevented him from participating in the NFL combine or Senior Bowl. Before the injury, per Pro Football Focus, he allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete under 45 percent of their targets against him in coverage while giving up no touchdowns and producing four pass breakups.

Capable of going the distance any time he touches the football, Cooper DeJean excelled as a punt returner away from being an All-American cornerback at Iowa. / Lily Smith / USA TODAY NETWORK

Aside from his elite ball skills and instincts in coverage, DeJean also has been an excellent tackler in space and on the rare occasion where Iowa put him in the box, including missing only three total tackles his entire sophomore season.

Now fully recovered from his injury, DeJean participated in his own pro day on April 8 and impressed as expected, running a 4.42 40-yard dash and posting a 38 1/2-inch vertical jump to help restore some of his draft stock as a potential top-15 pick.

After drafting Devon Witherspoon fifth overall last season to pair with Pro Bowler Riq Woolen, the Seahawks likely aren't in the market to draft a cornerback early in April's draft. However, the highly instinctive DeJean may be the ideal fit to transition to safety at the next level, where he could be deployed as a do-it-all ball-hawking chess piece for new coach Mike Macdonald, who has earned a reputation for pre-snap disguises and three-safety sets with versatile defensive backs.

While Seattle did sign veterans Rayshawn Jenkins and K'Von Wallace to pair with returning Pro Bowler Julian Love, those additions shouldn't deter the team from drafting a high-upside playmaker like DeJean if he's near the top of their big board and they view him as a long-term answer at safety. Wallace and Love will both be unrestricted free agents next March, second-year defender Jerrick Reed II is recovering from a torn ACL, and Jenkins signed a one-year deal with easy built-in opt outs after 2024, leaving plenty of questions at the position.