If Cowboys go offense early in draft, this player could be the target
We continue our 2026 NFL Draft preview of draft prospects that could interest the Dallas Cowboys. Today we are looking at wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. from Indiana.
Omar Cooper Jr.
WR
Indiana Hoosiers
Junior
3-star recruit
6’0”
199 lbs
History
In his first year at Indiana, Omar Cooper Jr. essentially took a redshirt developmental year and worked on special teams. He played four games and logged four kickoff returns for 63 yards with no offensive receptions.
In year two, he started to carve out a rotation role. He played nine games registering 18 receptions, 267 yards and two TDs. This was his flash season without being a featured target yet.
In year three, he became a big-play and red-zone weapon. He played 13 games with 28 receptions for 594 yards and seven receiving TDs. He also added two rushes for 23 yards and one rushing TD. The turning point game for Cooper came against Maryland, where he had four receptions for 83 yards and one TD that helped push his season momentum.
In year four, he made the leap from dangerous complementary target to national-name playmaker for Indiana’s title run. He played 16 games and had 69 receptions, 937 yards, 13 receiving TDs, plus three carries for 74 yards and one rushing TD. His biggest regular-season explosion was versus Indiana State when he tied an Indiana single-game receiving TD record after making 10 receptions for 207 yards and scoring four touchdowns. He also made one of the season’s signature moments at Penn State with a game-winning toe-tap touchdown catch that kept Indiana undefeated.
2025 Statistics
764 Offensive Snaps
91 Targets
69 Receptions
937 Receiving Yards
13 Receiving Touchdowns
58.6 YPG
494 YAC
3 Dropped Passes
27 Missed Tackles Forced
44 First Downs
143.2 Passer RTG When Targeted
0 Penalties
Snap by Position
Slot: 83%
Wideout: 15%
NFL Combine/Pro Day
Awards
2025: Second-Team All–Big Ten
Second-Team All-American
Scorecard
Overall– 81.7
Speed- 80
Acceleration- 80
Agility- 77
Strength- 85
Catching- 85
Route Running- 80
Ball Tracking- 78
YAC Skills- 89
Blocking- 77
Discipline- 94
THE GOOD
- Elite YAC profile
- Runs through arm tackles, finishes forward, and consistently turns routine throws into chunk gains
- Physical, fearless play style
- Takes contact and wins collision catches
- Stems through contact well and continuously fights for leverage
- Strong hands and ball skills in traffic
- Shows good spatial awareness working underneath and settling in windows
- Acceleration to stack nickelbacks is very good
- A tough, team-first receiver who’ll do the non-glamorous reps without complaint
THE BAD
- Not a pure separator route runner
- Relies a lot on his strength than trying to separate with nuanced stems and tempo
- Limited route-tree
- Top-end speed is questionable
- Physical corners can slow his releases
- Catch consistency due to concentration lapses
- Role projection is limited in the NFL
THE FIT
Cooper Jr. fits best as a big-slot receiver in a spread or West Coast–offense that manufactures touches and lets him win after the catch. His calling card is physical YAC skills, contact balance, and tackle-breaking rather than being a pure X-receiver. You maximize him by using motion to keep him off press, giving him a defined runway, and pairing him with a true separator so defenses can’t bracket his in-breaking routes.
SUMMARY
Omar Cooper Jr. profiles as a compact, physical, yards after catch receiver who wins with toughness, balance, and burst rather than finesse separation. He’s dangerous on slants, crossers, screens and glance routes because he runs through arm tackles, finishes forward, and turns routine completions into big gains. He also brings real competitiveness at the catch point for his size and can work over the middle without flinching, which gives him dependable third-down value.
The main improvement points are on the perimeter and the route tree side. He’s not a pure outside X who consistently beats press man with length and long-speed, and he’ll need more nuance at the top of routes to be a high-volume NFL target.
Overall, the projection is a starting-caliber big slot who can be schemed into touches early and grow into a reliable chain mover and red-zone or after-catch weapon.
PRO COMPARISON
DJ Moore
BTB OVERALL RANKING
50th
CONSENSUS OVERALL RANKING
22nd
(Consensus ranking based on the average ranking from 90 major scoring services, including BTB)
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