Cooper Dejean possesses a unique build for the cornerback position. While his height and weight are within the average range, his muscle mass is quite rare. I can't recall a cornerback with such a compact upper body yet maintaining an interesting wingspan for his size. Despite being muscular and fairly powerful, he doesn't always win his matchups, whether in run support or coverage.
Athletically, Dejean is more of a "more quick than fast" athlete. He demonstrates excellent explosiveness over short distances and has the speed necessary for pursuits without being elite. Dejean has good body control but lacks significant upper body flexibility (due to his muscle mass).
Although he lacks great fluidity, his quality footwork compensates for this deficiency. Dejean tends to be lazy, which is problematic given that technically his backpedal is clean, and he is capable of kick-sliding or redirecting effectively, even if his hips are not the most fluid.

Dejean excels in zone coverage. His explosiveness over short distances and good closing speed allow him to cut passing lanes effectively. However, I've noticed that he often leaves too much space between himself and the receiver on short routes, probably due to fear of a double move. This understandable concern arises from the aforementioned technical flaws but often results in receptions with significant gains.
On inside routes, he performs well, but occasionally his hips hinder him, causing him to lose time in his transitions or changes of direction. He compensates for this with quality foot frequency and burst, as mentioned earlier. Whether in man or zone coverage, he performs better in the boundary (closed side of the field).

In press coverage, his laziness works against him. He struggles to mirror the receiver's feet during the release and tends to open his hips too quickly. When he isn't lazy, his side-saddle technique is quite effective.
I haven't seen him jam a receiver, something you might expect from a cornerback of his physical profile. Therefore, there is significant technical work to be done.
In off-man coverage, his technical flaws are less noticeable because his explosiveness makes it easier for him to correct them.

Dejean has good ball skills and impressive ball tracking ability, even when facing away from the play. He reads the quarterback's eyes well, although I've seen him get manipulated once on film. It's challenging to assess Dejean's ball skills further because he tends to prioritize contact over playing the ball, which often allows receivers to gain short yardage.

Overall, I like what he brings to run support, but I don't see him dominating to shed blocks. He doesn't get outmuscled, but I would have liked to see more dominance from him in this aspect of the game. Dejean has solid tackling technique and is very reliable in contact situations, whether against the run or in open-field tackles.

Dejean could be a significant asset as a punt returner (31 attempts for 406 yards, 1 TD in 2022 and 2023).

Cooper Dejean is an atypical player due to his cornerback physique. I don't think he'll become an X-factor in the NFL, but he could be a good CB2 in a heavy zone coverage system in the boundary, with alignments as a nickel if he becomes more technically disciplined. We can envision him being used near the line of scrimmage on early downs to maximize his run support abilities, but otherwise, I want to see him with some distance so he can utilize his excellent football IQ and route recognition to make an impact on the field. I also hope he can develop technically and turn his physique into a real strength. Dejean is returning from injury, which is a factor to consider.
I evaluate Cooper Dejean as a second-round talent.