Omar Cooper is the second former Indiana Hoosier off the board at the 2026 NFL Draft. Cooper was selected by the New York Jets with the 30th pick of the first round. The Indianapolis native finished his IU career with 115 receptions for 1,798 yards and 24 total touchdowns. He was the leading receiver on IU’s national championship-winning team.
What the Jets are Getting?
The Jets are getting a player who can do a bit of everything. Cooper can burn teams on deep throws, break tackles and get upfield after the catch. Cooper has also made an impact in the run game.
“Big, strong target whose two-year rise is bolstered by translatable tape. While he was a full-time slot receiver in 2025, Cooper has also played outside. He can stem and drive past press with his strength. He has potent early acceleration to climb past nickelbacks into top position to challenge deep. His routes lack polish and he has average in-and-out quickness at break-points, but he’s rugged once the ball is in his hands. His ability to add yards after contact could earn Cooper more carries than we saw from him at Indiana. Fighting for catch space and blocking for the running game are areas where he needs improvement.” – Lance Zierlein NFL Analyst
What is Cooper’s 2026 Outlook?
Any time someone is picked in the first round, the thought is that they should have an immediate impact on the field. Cooper is getting compared to Deebo Samuel and he can eventually become that type of player. For 2026, Cooper should be in the rotation at wide receiver and he does have experience returning kicks, which should bring some more value. He will be paired with Garrett Wilson to give the Jets a nice one-two at receiver. Add in Kenyon Sadiq at tight end and one can see the offensive arsenal starting to be stock piled.