2024 NFL Draft Scouting Reports

January 26, 2024 1:00 AM EST

Evaluated by: Samuel Teets
Sports Talk with Sam Teets
Twitter: Sam_Teets33
January 26, 2024

Prospect Overview

2023: 10 games
2022: 13 games
2021: 7 games

DeJean was a four-star athlete recruit from OABCIG High School in Ida Grove, Iowa. in the class of 2021. He was the No. 359 recruit according to 247Sports (four-star) and No. 304 for On3.com (four-star). DeJean was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 75 grade out of 100.

DeJean lettered four years in high school as a quarterback and defensive back and was a team captain as a sophomore, junior, and senior. OABCIG went 25-0 in his final two seasons and finished with a 38-6 record over his career. DeJean led his team to back-to-back state championships as a junior and senior. He holds numerous school records, including pass completions and passing yards in a season, career passing yards and passing touchdowns, receptions in a game, receptions and receiving yards in a season, career touchdown receptions, and total yards in a season.

As a high school senior, DeJean completed 199 of 331 pass attempts for 3,447 yards, 35 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He also ran for 1,235 yards and 24 touchdowns on 131 carries and contributed 53.5 tackles and three interceptions on defense. DeJean earned Des Moines Register Elite All-State, First Team All-State, and First Team All-District honors as a senior.

As a junior, he completed 236 of 396 pass attempts for 3,546 yards, 42 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. He also ran for 1,292 yards and 24 touchdowns on 134 carries and totaled 34 tackles and five interceptions. DeJean received First Team All-State, First Team All-District, and district MVP honors for his efforts. He received First Team All-State and First Team All-District honors as a sophomore for making 66 receptions for 1,023 yards and 12 touchdowns.

DeJean earned three varsity letters in baseball, basketball, and track. He was the Class 2A long jump (23-7.5) and 100-meter dash (11.16) state champion as a senior and finished second in the 200-meter dash (22.12). He also ran a leg on the 400-meter relay state championship unit. DeJean was born on February 9, 2003.

DeJean continued his storied football career in college, earning First Team All-Big Ten honors from the conference's media in 2022. He was a First Team All-Big Ten defensive back and return specialist for the conference's media and coaches this past season. In 2023 DeJean improved on his 2022 success, earning a coveted First Team All-America honors as a cornerback!

Positives

When DeJean began seeing snaps with the Hawkeyes in 2022, he started taking most of his snaps in the slot. An injury to a teammate bumped him outside, and he never moved back. DeJean intercepted five passes in his first year as a starter and scored three defensive touchdowns.

DeJean has acceptable size to play a variety of roles, including slot defender, outside corner, box safety, or safety in a two-high coverage shell. A creative defensive coordinator could turn him into one of the league's ultimate chess pieces.

DeJean has exceptional burst and great speed for his size. Over the summer, he was running a 0.92 flying ten and a 2.39 20-yard sprint out of a two-point stance. He has a realistic chance to run a sub-4.3 40-time if he's healthy for the NFL Combine.

That burst and speed translate to the football field. DeJean uses his closing burst to jump routes or hit receivers at the catch point. He reads the quarterback's eyes to anticipate throws in zone and is a physical downhill tackler. The All-American played very little man coverage at Iowa, but he knew to compress outside releases along the sideline when he did. However, his natural feel is much better in zone, where his eyes, processing, and instincts shine.

DeJean is a willing run defender with the weight and physicality to defeat blocks. That makes him viable playing closer to the offensive line as a slot defender or low safety.

DeJean began returning punts for Iowa in 2022 and carried that role into 2023. He is a viable return man with legitimate home run potential. The junior is also a star on the coverage teams, picking up a dozen tackles primarily on the punt coverage unit during his college career. DeJean should still receive special teams snaps in the NFL, even if there's some risk baked into putting a starting defender on the field for extra snaps.

Areas for Improvement

The injury DeJean suffered at the end of the 2023 season was never confirmed, but it is believed to have been a broken fibula. Considering the severity of the injury, the Iowa star likely won't be at one hundred percent during the pre-draft process, and we will be robbed of witnessing what could have been a top-five Combine performance this year. Medicals surrounding the leg injury and its long-term outlook will be the main storyline surrounding DeJean's pre-draft process.

DeJean is a great overall athlete, but he suffers from hip tightness that hinders his transitions. Sudden changes of direction challenge his movement skills and agility, suggesting that man coverage against elite separators or twitchy playmakers is entirely out of the question.

DeJean struggles to get his hips around at the top of the stem to stay attached to receivers. His tightness and limited short-area agility prevent him from being a mirror and match corner. His movements are more rounded than sharp or sudden.

DeJean is ineffective in press coverage and doesn't get his head around to locate the ball when carrying a receiver vertically from a press alignment. He is not at his best with his back to the quarterback. DeJean's heavy focus on the quarterback when he has his eyes in the backfield sometimes leads to him losing focus on the wide receiver and allowing separation.

Overall, man coverage isn't an ideal fit for DeJean. He has flashes of playmaking from press man, but he isn't a consistent enough corner to step into a man-heavy system and start immediately. His best fit at the next level is a zone-heavy scheme with plenty of Cover 3.

Draft Stock

There are still some mixed opinions on DeJean, but he's almost universally viewed as a first round prospect. Players with his combination of athletic traits, coverage versatility, and special teams upside don't make it out of the first round frequently. The bigger discussion is where DeJean plays at the next level.

DeJean could be a luxury pick in the second half of the first round for a team with established veterans across the board. Ultimately, teams want to focus on drafting outside cornerbacks in the first round, but playing DeJean as a chess piece at safety, in the slot, or in a STAR role would allow him to impact the game on a higher percentage of plays than he could as an outside corner.

Defenders playing in the slot are closer to the backfield, which allows for more blitzing opportunities and chances to make plays against the run. Box safeties or robbers often find themselves fitting the run or playing throwing lanes over the middle of the field. Outside corners have far fewer chances to impact the game in these ways.

Regardless of his exact role, DeJean has the tools to be an impact, day one NFL starter in a zone-dominant scheme. Expect him to go in the second half of the first round.

Games Evaluated

• vs Minnesota (2023)
• Wisconsin (2023)
• Purdue (2023)
• Penn State (2023)
• Iowa State (2023)
• Purdue (2022)
• Ohio State (2022)
• Michigan (2022)