Cooper DeJean has made a name for himself as a pro football player in no time. Advanced metrics rated him as the best coverage cornerback in the game right now, and rightfully so. His pick-six on Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl was one of the most stunning plays by a rookie. And the cornerback position seems to be a DeJean family tradition. Cooper has a younger brother who also plays cornerback.
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While Cooper hopes to see him follow a similar path into the NFL, he also wants his brother, Jaxx DeJean, to carve out his own journey. Jaxx is only a sophomore in high school but is already a beast. He is in the class of 2027 and currently attends Odebolt-Arthur High School, the home of the Falcons.
Jaxx ranks as a four-star prospect and is the highest-rated prospect in the state of Iowa. Nationally, he’s ranked among the top 30 prospects and already has offers from Iowa, Michigan, Kansas State, and UAB. And, here is the most striking part about Jaxx — he stands at a towering 6-foot-6. That’s six inches taller than Cooper. The tape on Jaxx is quite an eye-grabber too.
He has an above-average football IQ and can blow up plays he sniffs out in the backfield. Jaxx also has exceptional hands for a defensive back and, even at his height, looks to outrun opposing players with ease when returning interceptions. Despite his size, he appears to be a carbon copy of his older brother.
But Cooper thinks Jaxx is a bit big for his age. On NFL on CBS, the Philadelphia Eagles CB stated that his brother’s listed weight is 205, but suggested it might be even more now. Cooper also discussed where he hopes his brother will attend in 2027.
“He knows I want him to go to Iowa,” Cooper said. “[But] that’s out of my control, I’m going to let him do his thing. I don’t want to get in the way of that. I want him to be able to write his own story. Hopefully, it’s at the University of Iowa, but if not, I’m going to support him no matter what. I know he’s been working hard, he’s got a bright future ahead of him, so I’m excited.”
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It’ll be interesting to see if Jaxx can remain an oversized defensive back or if college coaches will have him explore other positions. The average NFL defensive back is listed at 5-foot-11. They’re known for being small, agile, and quick. Jaxx isn’t any of those things.
He’s big, takes a moment to change directions, and has solid top speed but needs an additional second or so to reach it. And even if he gets away with his height in college, the NFL is a different proposition altogether.
Jaxx could try out as a tight end. As previously mentioned, he has the hands to do it. Blocking might be a tough thing to learn this late in his development, though. The defensive end is also a suitable spot for his size. It would take away the ball skills that he’s learned up to this point. But with his size, he should be able to shed some wimpy blocks and rack up sacks.
Either way, Cooper’s brother is an exciting prospect. There’s still a lot of time before he makes a noticeable impact anywhere. But it’s always good to keep an eye on the radar of what’s to come.
