Former Iowa Hawkeyes cornerback Cooper DeJean is likely to be a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He’s been ascending draft boards in a class that’s not necessarily top-heavy at this position.
DeJean might not be that well known to you. But we’re sure you’ve heard of another former Iowa athlete in that of record-setting women’s college basketball player Caitlin Clark. She was just recently the No. 1 pick of the Indiana Fever in the WNBA Draft after breaking several college basketball records.
So, how do these two intertwine with the NFL Draft getting going in the matter of hours? We’re glad you asked.
Apparently, teams asked DeJean during the pre-draft process whether he can beat Clark in a game of one-on-one pickup basketball. His response was rather interesting.
“I wouldn’t say it’s really weird, but a lot of teams have asked me if I can beat Caitlin Clark one-on-one,” DeJean said.
“I said, I think I can.”
Welp.
Related: Caitlin Clark Olympic Bound? WNBA Star Could Still Make Team USA Roster For Paris
Cooper DeJean was elite high school basketball player
Before we all get into a frenzy here. This isn’t just some random NFL Draft prospect acting the part of a fool. DeJean starred at Battle Creek-Ida Grove High School and scored 1,832 points during his basketball career. He also finished as the state’s all-time leader in steals.
His highlights were insane.
You can be the judge. We’re still going with Clark. But DeJean has some mad skills on the basketball court.
Let’s see if that can translate to the gridiron once he’s selected Thursday night. Sportsnaut has the cornerback going 26th overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in our final NFL mock draft.