Indiana's Omar Cooper Jr. Makes Huge Jump On NFL Draft Boards

During Indiana's national championship run, whether wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. would enter the 2026 NFL Draft felt like a toss up.

For most of the season, he was projected as a mid-to-late round pick. But as Cooper racked up 69 receptions for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns across 16 games, he showed great potential as an NFL wide receiver –– from his leaping, game-winning touchdown against Penn State to countless run-after-catch highlights.

162 seconds of Omar Cooper being hard to tackle pic.twitter.com/NHdISHKpfe
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) March 30, 2026

And now, with just over two weeks until the draft, it's clear that Cooper made the right call. Over the last few months, he has skyrocketed up draft boards after strong performances at the NFL Combine, Indiana's Pro Day, interviews and workouts.

Where Indiana's Omar Cooper Jr. is projected in 2026 NFL Draft

Round 1, Pick 13 by Los Angeles Rams, per NFL.com’s Rhett Lewis
Round 1, Pick 16 to New York Jets, per ESPN’s Peter Schrager
Round 1, Pick 23 by Philadelphia Eagles, per FOX Sports’ Nick Wright
Round 1, Pick 24 by Cleveland Browns, per CBS Sports' Garrett Poddell
Round 2, Pick 36 by Las Vegas Raiders, per The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner

Takeaways: From Indiana's perspective, the most entertaining option from these five mock drafts would be Cooper teaming up with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the likely No. 1 overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders. The two had great chemistry in college, which could help both of their careers get off to a smooth start as the building blocks under new Raiders coach Klint Kubiak.

Going to the Rams at No. 13 would also be a great outcome for Cooper, as he'd catch passes from a Super Bowl champion and future Hall of Fame quarterback in Matthew Stafford. Cooper may also make sense as somewhat of a replacement for AJ Brown, if the Eagles decided to trade him. It'd also be a good situation for Cooper with a Super Bowl quarterback like Jalen Hurts.

On the other hand, the Jets and Browns have been quarterback wastelands for most of the last 20 years. So if you're an Indiana fan, it make sense to root for Cooper to land elsewhere to begin his career.

How will Indiana replace Omar Cooper Jr.?

Indiana Football — Indiana's Charlie Becker (80), Shazz Preston (7) and LeBron Bond (6) during Indiana's spring football practice on Thursday, March 26, 2026. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As exciting as it may be to see Cooper potentially become a first-round NFL Draft pick, that obviously means he won't be wearing the cream and crimson next season as Indiana looks to defend its national championship in coach Curt Cignetti's third season.

Fortunately for the Hoosiers, Cignetti did well in the transfer portal. Indiana brings in 6-foot-3 wide receiver Nick Marsh, who totaled 59 receptions for 662 yards and six touchdowns last season. Another notable addition is Tulane transfer Shazz Preston, who made 43 receptions for 723 yards and four touchdowns in 2025.

Those two will help replace Cooper and Elijah Sarratt, another likely NFL Draft pick following his graduation from Indiana. It was also promising news that Indiana retained wide receiver Charlie Becker, who broke out in a huge way during the national championship run. Becker should be in line for an even bigger role at Indiana in 2026 after hauling in 34 recpetions for 679 yards and four touchdowns last season.

Cooper is certainly a significant loss, but Cignetti seems to have done well to solidify the wide receiver room. Becker, Marsh and Preston could be the top three options, with Tyler Morris, Davion Chandler and LeBron Bond as returning Hoosiers looking to earn bigger roles in 2026.