The Jets traded up in Round 1 to land Cooper, a fantastic receiver at Indiana who has struggled to adapt to the Jets offense since arriving. Chances are he'll begin the season as a bench option for the Jets, making him useless to draft in seasonal formats but still a top-10 choice in rookie-only drafts. Standing at 6-foot and 199 pounds, Cooper lined up in the slot a lot and caught 69 passes for 937 yards with a phenomenal 13 scores for national champion Indiana in 2025. The year before, he worked primarily as an outside receiver and scored seven times on 28 receptions, proving he could be successful lining up anywhere. Cooper is strong, burst-y, and polished with a knack for picking up yardage after the catch and overcoming physical play. But he's not a burner, and his route running could use some enhancements. Those factors could be slowing him down with New York. Ultimately, working in an offense with Garrett Wilson and fellow rookie Kenyon Sadiq figures to cap any upside he'll have in terms of targets, but he's a good player who might elevate the Jets once a dependable quarterback gets under center.
Cooper caught his only target for nine yards in Friday's 17-0 preseason win over the Steelers.
Cooper's lone catch came on a pass from fellow rookie Cade Klubnik in the two-minute drill to end the first half, with the Jets' second-string offense in the game. The rookie first-round pick out of Indiana has yet to work his way ahead of slot receiver Isaiah Williams, while Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell appear entrenched as the team's top two wide receivers until further notice. Cooper's likely to feature in next Friday's preseason finale against the Giants, even if the Jets rest their veteran starters.
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Jets' Omar Cooper: Two catches in NFL debut
Rotowire
Cooper caught two of three targets for 31 yards in Friday's 24-16 preseason loss to the Buccaneers.
Garrett Wilson, Adonai Mitchell and Isaiah Williams got into the game before Cooper at wide receiver, though Cooper promptly made his first catch of the game on the first play of the Jets' second drive. Cooper is expected to work his way ahead of Williams at some point, but the rookie first-round pick out of Indiana will need to earn his starting spot. Cooper will likely remain involved during the Jets' second preseason game, next Friday against the Steelers.
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Jets' Omar Cooper: Listed behind returnees on depth chart
Rotowire
Cooper is listed behind Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchellon the Jets' initial unofficial depth chart, Eric Allen of the team's official site reports.
Preseason depth charts can often be taken with a grain of salt, especially when it comes to rookies, and it's not especially surprising to see Cooper listed behind a pair of returnees. In any case, the 2026 first-rounder figures to see his share of snaps out of the gate this season in three-receiver sets, with the Indiana product's fantasy upside hinging on how quickly and how well he and veteran QB Geno Smith build their on-field chemistry.
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Jets' Omar Cooper: Solidifying spot in three-wide sets
Rotowire
Cooper was the Jets' most impressive rookie in spring practices and looks to have solidified his spot in three-receiver sets, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.
The Jets traded up into the first round to draft Cooper 30th overall. The versatile rookie out of Indiana played both on the outside and in the slot in college, which should help Cooper get on the field consistently alongside Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell. Per Geoffrey A. Knox of USA Today Jets Wire, Mitchell and slot receiver option Isaiah Williams were two of the Jets' top performers during the offseason program, so Cooper will need to continue building on his strong spring to secure playing time. That being said, Cimini expects Cooper's physical playing style to help the rookie shine even more once the pads come on in training camp.
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Jets' Omar Cooper: Selected by Jets
Rotowire
The Jets selected Cooper in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 30th overall.
Cooper (6-feet, 199 pounds) was a productive player in his fourth season at Indiana, though less so in the prior three years. Cooper's 4.42-second 40-yard dash verified that he has real NFL speed to leverage his otherwise standout ability after the catch. The Jets pass-catcher rotation is suddenly somewhat crowded after adding Cooper and TE Kenyon Sadiq, so it's not clear how many targets will be left after Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell get their reps.
