Cooper DeJean — NFL Mock Draft Roundup 2.0

The Bills basically released their entire secondary due to salary cap reasons, and while they did re-sign some of their own, they need more. Cooper DeJean will not only help in coverage but is also a very capable run-stopper, blitzer and return man.

The second first-rounder Arizona would receive in my mock trade from above could be used on defensive help. Jonathan Gannon would love to add a multi-use piece in the secondary such as DeJean, who also could give the punt-return unit some juice. DeJean's season-ending injury means he won't work out until April 15, which leaves his projection a bit unclear right now.

The Packers add talent to the secondary here, grabbing the uber-athletic DeJean. The former Iowa star brings size, physicality, and twitchy movement skills to the cornerback position and has experience playing both over the slot and at safety. Green Bay can drop him into their defense early on.

DeJean goes a little earlier than some are expecting. The former Hawkeye's combination of athleticism, versatility and playmaking ability is too enticing for GM Chris Ballard to resist.

They need help at corner and Cooper DeJean would make sense. He could also move inside to safety if they needed to do that down the road.

After landing Olu Fashanu with the first of two acquired first-rounders from the mock trade, the Patriots can now get a versatile defensive back who was a certified playmaker in college. DeJean grabbed seven interceptions over the past two seasons, returning three for TDs. The Patriots have last year's first-rounder Christian Gonzalez returning from a torn labrum, and I like this pairing a lot. DeJean missed his combine workout while recovering from a broken leg suffered late in the 2023 season, but he should be ready to roll in Week 1.

Coach Todd Bowles loves versatility on the back end, and that's exactly what DeJean brings to the table. Cornerback Carlton Davis III left for Detroit, and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. might be in town for only one year on the franchise tag. DeJean had seven interceptions over his final two seasons at Iowa and is an outstanding punt returner. Although I would start him at corner, he eventually could evolve into a terrific safety because of his 6-1 size, physicality and range.

This choice leans into the best player available territory, though cornerback was the defensive weak link last season for San Francisco. The competitive DeJean has cornerback and safety experience and returned 21 punts last season for Iowa. The crowd-pleaser is going O-line since, beyond Trent Williams, the unit wasn't up to the level of the overall roster.