Making the Case
2026 | Making The Case for Omar Cooper Jr.
✅ ELITE YAC-Threat
✅ Contested Ball-Winner
✅ Highly-Efficient
✅ Multi-Year Producer
✅ Underrated Deep-Threat
✅ Underrated Route-Runner
✅ Underrated Athlete
✅ RD1 NFL Draft Pick
Omar Cooper has legit WR1 upside.
Let me tell you why.
For starters – Omar Cooper Jr. is an ELITE YAC-threat.
He averaged 6.6 YAC/reception for his career (7.0+ each of his final 2 seasons).
& broke a whopping 27 tackles on just 69 receptions in 2025.
He owns a career .313 MTF/reception.
To put this into perspective – Cooper is quite literally the best tackle-breaker in this class (.341 MTF/touch).
Jeremiyah Love (.335 MTF/touch) & Jonah Coleman (.312 MTF/touch) are the only other players projected inside the first 5 rounds above a 30% avoided tackle-rate.
There have been over 30 RD1 WR’s drafted since 2020.
If (when) Cooper joins them, he’ll rank 3rd amongst the group in career MTF/reception.
Omar Cooper Jr. is also a contested ball-winner.
Cooper has a 54.3% career contested success-rate (50%+ success-rate every single season).
Drake London is the only RD1 WR (since 2020) with a career broken tackle rate above 30% AND contested success-rate above 50%.
Omar Cooper is about to join him.
Cooper was also extremely efficient – averaging 2.00+ YPRR every season.
2.14 YPRR in 2023.
2.52 YPRR in 2024.
2.55 YPRR in 2025.
He averaged 2.47 YPRR for his career.
The only RD1 WR prospects with a higher career YPRR & QBR when targeted:
(Since 2020)
- Ja’Marr Chase
- Justin Jefferson
- Jaylen Waddle
- Devonta Smith
- Garrett Wilson
- Chris Olave
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba
- Jameson Williams
Good things happen when you throw him the ball!
Cooper is often framed as a “1-year wonder” – but he was good in 2024 too.
He averaged 21.2 YPR, 2.50+ YPRR, & earned a 78.8 PFF Receiving Grade.
He tied Elijah Sarratt for the team lead amongst WR’s with 8 total TD’s.
Cooper was also utilized much more as a downfield threat than he’s given credit for.
He had a 12.5 career ADOT (9.7+ every season; 15.0+ each of his first 2 seasons).
He didn’t see a single target behind the line of scrimmage in either of his first 2 seasons.
Even in 2025 – over 40% of his targets & 55% of his yards came on passes 10+ yards downfield.
This is not a “gadget-player” or someone who was reliant on “manufactured touches.”
This is a player who can win at all levels.
Omar Cooper is also an underrated route-runner.
He was charted as:
- 60th percentile vs Man
- 78th percentile vs Zone
Do you know what that means?
It means Omar Cooper wins before, at, AND after-the-catch.
In all 3 phases.
He’s also a damn good athlete – running a 4.42 40 at 6’0”/199.
You can consider him a lock for RD1.
🔒🔒🔒
Cooper currently sits 22nd overall on Mock Draft Database’s Consensus Big Board (their consensus mock has him projected #16 overall to the Jets).
Cooper is a late-declare – but he was efficient on a per-route basis, has good athleticism, standout traits, & is going to get Top-40 Draft Capital (likely RD1).
Sounds a lot like Ladd McConkey!
They received essentially the same NFL.com Grade (6.39 & 6.40).
Cooper’s profile also reminds me of Rashee Rice from a play-style POV.
I also see shades of Deebo Samuel & Luther Burden in terms of YAC-ability.
(Deebo is Cooper’s official “comp” on NFL.com)
Chris Godwin is another “comp” that makes sense to me (big-slot with inside/outside capabilities; good YAC & contested-threat).
Coincidentally – Godwin, Deebo, & Rice all have a season where they finished as a Top-5 WR in PPG.
Deebo in 2021 (21.2 PPG).
Godwin in 2019 & 2024 (19.7 PPG).
Rice in 2025 (18.8 PPG).
I believe Omar Cooper Jr. has WR1 fantasy-upside as well.
Bottom line – I am willing to overlook the late-breakout & late-declare status.
The consistent per-route efficiency, high-end athleticism, elite traits as a YAC-threat, & well-rounded skillset all point to Omar Cooper Jr. as an immediate NFL starter & potential fantasy WR1.