One need only look at a former Hawkeye and great Buffalo Bill to see how this can work: Micah Hyde. Hyde was a zone corner before successfully moving over to Safety. DeJean has better tools than Hyde had and therefore warrants a higher selection.
No idea where you are getting “tight hips” or “burned by lower level players”. As someone who has watched every game Coop has played, this is demonstrably false.
Dejean is also a fantastic punt returner. Tough, smart, and super athletic. He has a real chance to be every bit as good as Hyde.