Things are going to get weird in these last few weeks before the NFL Draft arrives. Everyone's already done a half dozen mocks, and while there's some general consensus about how the first handful of picks may go, there's not much certainty after that.
With every different school Pro Day, another draft-eligible player becomes The Main Character on Draft Twitter for the day. Monday's was Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean, who's widely considered to be CB1 in this year's class. DeJean did the usual Pro Day activities on Monday, and the results certainly had people talking.
Cooper DeJean’s stellar individual workout:
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) April 8, 2024
- Better 40 time (4.43) than Trent McDuffie (4.44)
- Same vertical as Steve Smith (38.5”)
- Same broad jump as Jaylon Johnson (10’4”)
- More bench reps (16) than Antrel Rolle (15) https://t.co/7Q2JSUbhtp pic.twitter.com/fvZfFFiNCl
Falling too hard for individual workouts is how you end up drafting Zach Wilson, but still, it's hard not to be impressed when a 21-year old college cornerback puts up numbers that compare to the likes of Rolle, Johnson, and McDuffie.
Monday's results are especially good news for the Colts, who have long been predicted as a place where DeJean could end up. Their first round pick this year is 15 overall, which is more or less the range where most Draft analysts have DeJean getting selected.
And while there's some question about whether DeJean will play corner or safety at the next level, it's not like the Colts can be too picky. Secondary help is a major place of need for them this year, and DeJean would immediately slot in either as the other outside corner next to Kenny Moore, or besides Julian Blackmon at safety. Last season, the Colts' secondary ranked 16th in passing yards allowed, 14th in interceptions, and 10th in touchdowns; according to Pro Football Focus, they had the 11th worst pass coverage grade.
Getting someone like DeJean would obviously go a long way, especially considering his projection as a Day 1 impact player. *And* he can return punts, too. It's probably best for everyone's longterm sanity to stay away from getting too excited about individual workouts, but after seeing DeJean's results, it's hard not to imagine how much fun he could be on the Colts.