New Intel Raises the Stakes for Jets’ Omar Cooper Gamble

Last week, the Jets shocked their fans during the first night of the 2026 NFL Draft, trading back into the first round after taking David Bailey and Kenyon Sadiq with the Nos. 2 and 16 overall picks.

The Jets, scheduled to pick at No. 33 overall in the second round, swapped spots with the San Francisco 49ers, also giving up the No. 179 pick (fifth-round) to take former Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. New York needed to find a WR2 in the draft. Some fans thought it would happen at No. 16 overall.

However, New York felt strongly about its process to make a third first-round pick. Now, some could say the Jets could’ve waited at the top of round two to take Cooper, but apparently, New York received word that the Buffalo Bills were eyeing him.

“The reason why (the Jets) traded up is 'cause they thought Buffalo was going to take Cooper at 31,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini said on The Jets Collective with Jake Asman and Brandon Tierney. “And so, they anticipated that. That was their intel. And it’s funny how as soon as they traded up and took him, Buffalo traded out.”

.@RichCimini explained to @JakeAsman & @BrandonTierney that the #Jets traded up to pick No. 30 for WR Omar Cooper Jr because they had intel that the #Bills were going to take him at pick No. 31: 👀

‘They anticipated that. That was their intel. It’s funny how as soon as they… pic.twitter.com/PWvXMUB3sx
— Jets Collective (@NYJetsHMA) April 28, 2026

Cimini also mentioned that he believes Cooper was “rated very close to Sadiq on their draft board” and the Jets wanted the fifth-year option. Between the two teams, the Bills are well-equipped at WR, but the Jets' small offseason win over their rivals is nice.

Jets need Omar Cooper Jr. pick to work out after trading up in first round

The Bills ultimately drafted their wide receiver in the fourth round in former UConn standout Skylar Bell. As for the Jets, they need the Cooper pick to pan out immediately.

Last year, Jets fans suffered as they watched Allen Lazard, Josh Reynolds, Isaiah Williams, John Metchie III, Arian Smith, and Adonai Mitchell. None of these guys quite emerged as the WR2 when Garrett Wilson was on the field.

Mitchell, acquired in the Sauce Gardner trade, has the potential to be a top-3 WR in the Jets’ offense, but he has to stay consistent. But with Cooper in the mix, Mitchell can define himself as the Jets’ WR3 and be their constant deep threat.

Adonai Mitchell is tackled while attempting a catch. — Adonai Mitchell is talented, but the Jets need to see him perform more consistently to trust him. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Meanwhile, Cooper has the skills to play on the perimeter and in the slot. There might not be a ton of X snaps as Mitchell got the bulk of those last season at 265, per StatRankings. With Metchie out of the picture, he’ll get some time there.

With a healthy Wilson, who has had three-straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons before last year, the Jets should hope Cooper can pitch in with 600-700 receiving yards and score at least 3-4 touchdowns.

There will be a lot of mouths to feed with all the talent in this offense, but if Cooper can get off to a good start, he’ll become an instant fan favorite. However, if the former Hoosiers wide receiver has a slow start and can’t acclimate himself inside the offense, some Jets fans might feel as if New York's rival pressured general manager Darren Mougey to move up in the first round.

Luckily for all of us, we’ll see if the Jets made the right decision as the rookie and mandatory minicamps will arrive here quickly.

Add us as a preferred source on Google