Versatile Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean proved his health and certified his celebrated “freak” status at a pro day workout on Monday.
DeJean spent most of the pre-draft circuit rehabbing his left leg after a season-ending broken fibula in November. Since that practice injury in Iowa City, he was unable to participate in all-star games and the NFL Scouting Combine, instead setting up a private workout for scouts and then blowing them away.
DeJean weighed 202 pounds at just under 6-foot-1, ran in the 4.4s and posted a 10-foot-4-inch broad jump and 38.5-inch vertical, according to results posted by NFL Network from the event.
An All-American cornerback at Iowa, DeJean also starred as a kick returner. Some NFL teams view him as a safety and others anticipate a hybrid role blending responsibilities of a safety, cornerback and slot corner.
“I feel like I have the ability to play multiple different positions on the back end,” DeJean said at the Combine in February.
Speed and suddenness are trademarks that made him one of the top playmakers for the Hawkeyes, whose coaches long advertised DeJean as one of the “freaks” of the program.
