No draft prospect has generated more controversy among Green Bay Packers fans than defensive back Cooper DeJean. That's probably because nobody has been mocked to Green Bay as frequently, and a heated debate would always ensue.

In his second mock of the season, for instance, NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah mentioned that "DeJean just feels like a Packers player. He could play any position in the secondary. The speed and athleticism are legit, as we will see at the NFL Scouting Combine."

At the same time, some fans and draft pundits don't see the value of taking DeJean in the first round, especially considering he doesn't fit in Jeff Hafley's scheme as well as he could in Joe Barry's.

Style of play

Cooper DeJean is, in fact, an extremely versatile player. In 2023, according to PFF data, he had 630 snaps at outside cornerback, 28 close to the line of scrimmage, 23 in the slot, 23 as a box safety, and one as a deep safety.

Brian Maafi, who contributes to the Cheesehead TV Draft Guide, thinks the transition to the NFL could be an issue.

"The question is how long will the adjustment take for him, because he would be playing single high," Maafi points out, "Also, he can't play in the slot against any wide receiver. Tank Dell or either of the Miami wide receivers would destroy him. He would be a good matchup against guys like Cooper Kupp."

It’s an easier bet to make if the player is a mid-round project. But DeJean is expected to be a first-rounder. According to Travis May, A to Z Sports’ College Football Managing Editor, he is the 22nd best prospect of the class.

“Versatile athlete who could be the best return weapon in the NFL one day on top being a shutdown corner,” May wrote. “He has the size to convert to safety or play more near the tackle box if he wants to as well.”

Concerns

The big negative factor about his play and the new Packers' defense is that DeJean hasn't played much (nor well) in man coverage. PFF gave him a 78.6 coverage grade, but in man coverage his grade goes down to 63.7 – which is not exactly bad, but certainly not ideal for a first-rounder.

"He played the overwhelming majority of snaps in zone coverage with off coverage marking. Only 199 snaps were in press coverage over the two effectively played years, which is less than 25% of his coverage snaps during that period," says Ricardo Gonçalves, who covers the Packers for PodPackBR. "This is somewhat curious for a player with his physical ability and stature of 6'1/207, who theoretically could challenge any wide receiver. While it is undoubtedly a scheme preference, there is a lingering doubt about his ability to play in this way, as in many of these instances, he seemed to struggle to mirror routes and challenge wide receivers, being less physical and effective in hand usage."

What he does well

NFL teams usually fail when taking these Swiss-Army knife types, failing to have a proper plan to utilize their skills. Isaiah Simmons and Zaven Collins, both drafted in the first round by the Arizona Cardinals, are examples of that. Simmons spent most of his time in Arizona as a mediocre safety before becoming a rotational role linebacker for the New York Giants last season. Collins played mostly as an off-ball linebacker in his first two seasons, and last year had his best year in the NFL after moving to edge defender.

The major conclusion is that if a team wants to take a player like Cooper DeJean, they better know exactly what he is good at and how he would be deployed.

"He truly shines when playing in zone coverage, being very effective in reading quarterbacks and wide receivers," Ricardo Gonçalves adds. "He comes down quickly to make a play on the ball, whether deflecting the pass, intercepting with his excellent ball skills, or immediately tackling. He excels against the running game, navigating through blocks to make plays, and is an excellent tackler with good technique and very few instances of missed tackles. He was consistently placed near the line of scrimmage or in the box to take advantage of this."

Value

General manager Brian Gutekunst likes to take players from premium positions in the first round. The value he puts on DeJean will also depend on how the Packers would intend to use him.

If the front office and coaching staff come to a conclusion that DeJean can be an outside cornerback, his value is higher. However, if he is seen as a safety/nickel corner, he could still be a valuable piece of the defense, but it's harder to justify a first-round pick on this type of player.

Cooper DeJean is talented and versatile, but the Iowa defender will not come to any NFL team without a series of challenges for whoever drafts him early on.

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