National Football League

NFL Draft: Iowa star Cooper DeJean reportedly cleared for contact

Updated Apr. 2, 2024 4:03 p.m. ET

Former Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean has informed NFL teams that he has been cleared for contact, ESPN reported Tuesday.

DeJean suffered a broken fibula 10 games into the 2023 college football season for Iowa and missed the rest of the season.

The 21-year-old DeJean is one of the most tantalizing players in the 2024 NFL Draft. This past season, he logged two interceptions, five passes defended and 41 combined tackles. The year prior, DeJean reeled in five interceptions, including three pick-sixes.

DeJean has been a stalwart for an Iowa defense that has finished top four in the Big Ten in opponent yards and opponent points per game in each of the past two seasons. He has also been a star on special teams for the Hawkeyes, most notably running back a go-ahead 70-yard punt return late in the fourth quarter of Iowa's win over Michigan State last season; in 2022, DeJean averaged 16.5 yards per punt return.

DeJean is a one-time All-American who earned two All-Big Ten honors.

The Iowa star has company for being the first defensive back off the board in the draft, as Alabama's Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry, among others, are also in the mix to hear their names early on Day 1.

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