Cooper DeJean was widely regarded as a first-round pick at this time last year, and he inexplicably fell out of the first round on draft day, landing with the Eagles in the second round.

That turned out to be a massive mistake for a lot of NFL teams that passed on the Sioux Falls native.

DeJean took some time to get rolling this past season, but once he did, he proved to be among the elite rookies at any position across the league.

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On Thursday, the NFL released its list of finalists for the yearly awards, and DeJean made the cut as a finalist for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Per ESPN.com:

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean was among the highest-rated players in the slot, holding opponents to 50 receptions. He had five pass breakups, and quarterbacks had an 82.2 passer rating against him.

According to VegasInsider, it isn't likely that DeJean will win the honor this year, but it says a ton about the season he had as a rookie that he made it as a finalist.

The best part? His season isn't over. DeJean and the Eagles play host to the Commanders in Sunday's NFC Championship Game.

DeJean was born in Sioux Falls before his family ended up in the Northwest Iowa community of Odebolt. After a standout prep career at OABCIG High School, DeJean moved on to the University of Iowa where he earned All-Big 10 Honors in 2022 and 2023 and was a Unanimous All-American in 2023.

Sources: ESPN.com and Vegas Insider - DPOY Odds

7 Famous Athletes from South Dakota

South Dakota may have a small population, but our state's contributions to sports have been pretty big.

People born in the 605 have gone on to be in the NFL, Major League Baseball, the NBA, WWE, WNBA, and in the Olympics.

Meet seven of the most famous:

South Dakota Born NFL Players of this Century

While not a traditional powerhouse Nation Football League feeder, South Dakota has produces a fair number of football players that went on to the big time in the NFL.

Here are some that have played on various teams over the last couple of decades.

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