Cooper DeJean And His Position Fit
April 22nd, 2024
Iowa CB Cooper DeJean.
The more Joe reads about this Cooper DeJean, the more Joe sours on him — in the first round.
Would it shock Joe if the Bucs took a corner at No. 26? Absolutely not. And Joe sort of thinks that might be a need. Hey, if the Bucs can trade Carlton Davis, how safe is Jamel Dean?
Then on the other side the Bucs are looking to start Zyon McCollum. Joe would like to see a bit more consistency from him. Maybe he will pull that off along with his first career interception? Seems like a very smart player who learns.
Matt Miller of BSPN thinks DeJean is a good fit in Tampa.
Miller’s pick that gets best value: Cooper DeJean, CB/S, Iowa
One of my absolute favorite players in the class, DeJean is ranked No. 20 overall as an inside/outside cornerback, safety, punt returner and all-around playmaker on defense. He had seven interceptions over the past two seasons.
Joe has heard too much about the Iowa product potentially playing safety. That makes Joe uncomfortable. If a team is going to spend a No. 26 pick on a corner, Joe doesn’t want to hear how he might be a safety.
Then, Joe came across a clip of renowned NFL Films X’s and O’s guru Greg Cosell. Appearing on the Ross Tucker Podcast, Cosell said, “A lot of teams will see” DeJean as a safety. Cosell is not sold on DeJean.
Cosell even went on to say Denver corner Riley Moss, who was a third-round pick last year out of Iowa, is a better prospect than DeJean.
No, if the Bucs are going to spend a first-round pick on someone, Joe wants a consensus from the NFL analysts that a guy is a no-doubt-about-it corner.
(And sorry, the Bucs already have two established safeties. The Bucs need players who will get on the field right away, not two or three years from now.)
Now, second round? That’s a totally different story.
“I think a lot of teams see him as a safety…he’s a little stiff…he struggles a bit…”@GregCosell has concerns about Iowa CB Cooper DeJean: pic.twitter.com/B4WNnHGrPF
— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) April 14, 2024
“𝙃𝙚’𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝘿𝘽 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙮”
Cooper DeJean in the last 2 seasons
• 7 INTs
• 13 PDs
• 3 Defensive TDs
• 120 Tackles
• 406 PR Yards
• 2023 Consensus AA
• Allowed just 194 Yards on 388 Coverage snaps in… pic.twitter.com/4nrWGRtn81— College Football Report (@CFBRep) January 6, 2024
April 22nd, 2024 at 12:19 am
Pass
April 22nd, 2024 at 12:27 am
Trade down and grab him. He’s exactly the kind of player we need back there
April 22nd, 2024 at 12:28 am
Pretty sure they see him as a safety because he’s white… If you watch him play, I don’t see the stiffness. He looks like legit 1st round corner.
April 22nd, 2024 at 12:32 am
He’s an exciting playmaker. I’m not sure how well his college game will translate into the NFL. It might. Over my pay grade to determine. I’d take him over Chop Robinson. Both seem a little boom-bust.
April 22nd, 2024 at 1:03 am
Dude can actually catch the ball as compared to our current DB’s and the one so recently departed. With the new kickoff scheme, it might make this player more versatile and desirable. If Cosell is nervous about him then I am nervous about him. We don’t need another safety and round one isn’t for depth pieces or special teams players. The more I think about it the more I want a WR in round one or two.
April 22nd, 2024 at 1:36 am
I’d love for dean to go. 86 that lawn chair! Good riddance and don’t let the door hit you where the good lord split you on the way out the door.
I wonder how much ‘John lynch’ cooper DeJean got in him. Just sayin It looks like he’s fast and has a nose for the ball. I like it, and don’t be afraid. Sign him up.
April 22nd, 2024 at 1:37 am
Wish we could have been in a position, or that there was a way to pull-off a Barton (or JPJ), Frazier, T.J. Tampa, & Corley Draft… Our Offense (if healthy), could be pretty good next year. Those guys would be a BIG help. That Corley could be a heckuva weapon, if as long as Cohen would know wtfrig to do with him. Kill two birds with just one stone… Then, we could have TWO ‘receivers’ playing running back LoL.
April 22nd, 2024 at 1:38 am
I’m also not sure a performance like that will translate into NFL play. I don’t watch college football because it just isn’t good enough to keep me interested. The guy looks great, but it’s college.
I could listen to Cosell all day.
April 22nd, 2024 at 2:16 am
He will be gone before 26 . Nothing to see here.
April 22nd, 2024 at 3:14 am
he won’t get past jerry jones…white uni-corner in the star helmet…bust city in the big D
April 22nd, 2024 at 3:30 am
The Bucs love a project, someone who’s already been seriously injured or from a small school, most definitely someone who they can play at multiple positions and change their position.
They are too damn fancy for their own good!
April 22nd, 2024 at 3:45 am
If the Bucs are committed to Zyon as a starter, they have no reason or need to draft a CB before day 3. Too many other needs: Edge, C, WR, ILB, RB, LG, TE.
April 22nd, 2024 at 6:25 am
CleanHouse nailed it!
By most accounts, Edge and IOL are our top 2 needs. Which one is our top need and by how much is up to interpretation. The draft is weak at Edge to begin with and we’re picking at 26. So we could get the 4th rated Edge, boom or bust, no college production to speak of (but cool name! 🙄). OR we could probably get the top rated Center or Guard and potentially be set there for 7-10 years with the rest of our young OLine. It seems like a no brainer to me. But I guess Joe would rather take a flyer at a position of maybe, slightly, higher need than a much surer thing at a position that is also in dire need. Make it make sense.
April 22nd, 2024 at 6:40 am
Cosell also said Ladd McConkey would be a perfect fit in Liam Coen’s version of the Rams offense. Cosell went on to say McConkey could be our Cooper Kupp. Imagine our offense adding Kupp with Evans, and Godwin. Score more points, win more games.
April 22nd, 2024 at 6:48 am
His football IQ is extremely high and with a ball hawk like Winfield to polish Cooper a bit , his ceiling as a safety is very high. When DeJean makes interceptions he is more than capable of housing it for 6. Cooper is the best tackler in this draft class secondary group and produces great TFL numbers. Not to mention his retrurn skills which are substantial. Bucs draft JPJ or Barton if they are available-if not DeJean would not be dissapointing at 26.
April 22nd, 2024 at 7:05 am
Burr Says:
April 22nd, 2024 at 12:28 am
Pretty sure they see him as a safety because he’s white… If you watch him play, I don’t see the stiffness. He looks like legit 1st round corner.
His race is irrelevant. Stick to football. Joe.. Ban Burr from your website. No room for this kind of talk in 2024.
April 22nd, 2024 at 7:10 am
Playmaker! He’ll be gone before the Bucs pick, so no worries Joe!
April 22nd, 2024 at 7:11 am
I thought we needed an edge rusher, offensive line guys, and a running back first. Why are we even talking about this. We have no up the middle running back. Rashaad is good on outside the lines stuff and can catch but we still need a big dood.
April 22nd, 2024 at 7:44 am
Pass
April 22nd, 2024 at 7:48 am
As a Hawkeye fan I agree with Cosell about Riley Moss being better.
April 22nd, 2024 at 7:56 am
In the Bucs hay day the DB’s forcing coverage sacks was just as important as individual DL sacks, if the top of the defense can become a strength then it’s a win!
April 22nd, 2024 at 8:10 am
1000% YES!
Scheme fit. Scheme fit. Scheme fit.
Todd Bowles loves nothing more than guys who can play multiple positions. It allows him to disguise coverages. CDJ is the ultimate player to TB’s defense. He can play CB, S, LB. He would be a nightmare for opposing QBs in TB’s defense. After Verse, this is who you want the Bucs to get.
April 22nd, 2024 at 8:29 am
he would be a major threat as a returner
April 22nd, 2024 at 8:47 am
We need offensive players, guard and center and RB – much more than defense (except edge). We had the worst run game in the league last year, we need more balance on offense. I wouldn’t mind going offense with our first 3 picks.
April 22nd, 2024 at 9:39 am
1. Trade down for an extra pick in there first 4 rounds.
2. Use the 2 second round picks, 2 third round picks and 2 fourth round picks as follows
Offense: WR, IOL, RB
Defense: EDGE, ILB, CB
3. Grab a TE and a S with special teams prowess on the way out.
4. Sign a good mix of developmental UDFA
4. Don’t get cute and trade away 2025 picks
April 22nd, 2024 at 9:39 am
I think whenever anyone is talking about drafting a player its with the assumption that players like Verse, Latu, Barton and JPJ are off the Board. There’s another 8-10 players plus the Qbs. I don’t think there are many fans left saying they want to take a DeJean over those top players at a position of need. It’s just getting less and less plausible that those top 4 listed are going to be available at pick #26.
April 22nd, 2024 at 9:51 am
Safety!
The Bucs are set at safety, and when Winfield gets extended, set for years!
IOL
IOL
IOL
IOL
Say it, my brothers of real football!
April 22nd, 2024 at 9:54 am
@SB~LV: true, but football rules have changed. The “old” Bucs D were fearless hitters and struck fear in the hearts of receivers.
No more.
You can’t even tackle effectively anymore.
The name of the game is ball control and point scoring.
D is just ole, no contact, no hitting…
April 22nd, 2024 at 10:15 am
Jalen Ramsey was a “tweener” also. A lot of projections said he’d be a safety in the NFL, not a corner… how did that work out? Copper is a STUD. If you draft studs, your team gets better. Period.
April 22nd, 2024 at 10:55 am
I would prefer T.J. Tampa a little later… That “TAMPA 2” on the back of the jersey would be worth-it alone, but he’s a nice looking player, too!!!! We might have to kick Ol’ Trask to the curb tho, if he’s not willing to play ball with working out a deal Haha.
April 22nd, 2024 at 11:13 am
Bucs can’t get enough good corners, and we definitely need play makers like this kid. If he’s there at 26, I say grab him!
April 22nd, 2024 at 11:51 am
I think very much a need at special teams and as a CB/S alternate.
April 22nd, 2024 at 11:56 am
Joe is the same guy that elevated Jameis Winston to God like status.
How’d that one go for us???
His evaluation skills are basically non existent.
Corner has been our weakness for years now and we need to address it right away.
If the best player available is a CB at 26, take it.
Licht is incapable of drafting quality DE’s anyway.
April 22nd, 2024 at 12:10 pm
I’d trade out of the first if I could…I’m sure a QB will fall and some team will want to move up
So:
2nd-Zack Frazier center
2nd-Chris Braswell edge
3rd-Jeremiah Trotter lb
3rd-Audric Estime RB
Put it on the board… championship
April 22nd, 2024 at 12:15 pm
Forgot the extra 3rd for trading down
3rd- Ben Sinnott te
April 22nd, 2024 at 12:38 pm
DE
Guard
Center
Linebacker
April 22nd, 2024 at 2:25 pm
As much as I want to see a pick Thursday night, I’m not opposed to trading back for good picks. But 2 things come to mind with CDJ. White men can’t jump and they can’t play cornerback. 😂
April 22nd, 2024 at 3:30 pm
to the people getting upset for calling him white …. I’m white and a white Corner concerns me .. Sorry … I’ve watched football since 1986 … I cant remember many white Corners ever … Jason Sehorn ?? Sabby ??? I have to be missing someone but the track history concerns me
April 22nd, 2024 at 9:50 pm
Simms has him as his #1 safety and said he’s probably going to be a safety in the league.