Jets trade for a third pick in first round to grab Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr.
· Yahoo Sports
The New York Jets had two first-round picks entering the 2026 NFL Draft.
They ended up with three.
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The Jets traded the first pick of the second round (33rd overall) and a fifth-round pick (No. 179 overall) to the San Francisco 49ers for the 30th overall pick, which they used to take former Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr.
Cooper was one of the favorite targets of No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner, as the Hoosiers went undefeated (16-0) in 2025 and captured the national championship.
New York signed veteran quarterback Geno Smith to handle the position while positioning themselves to select a franchise quarterback in the 2027 draft. Whoever is throwing Cooper the ball should enjoy his run-after-catch abilities that he displayed while working out of the slot at Indiana. Cooper led Indiana in targets (91), catches (69) and receiving yards (937) and caught 13 touchdowns – only teammate Elijah Sarratt had more touchdown catches as a Power 4 receiver in 2025.
The Jets had the second overall pick of the night, their own selection, and took edge rusher David Bailey from Texas Tech. Their next pick, 16th overall, came via the Indianapolis Colts and the trade deadline trade that sent cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Colts; New York took the top tight end in the class, Kenyon Sadiq.
But the Jets weren’t done adding to their offense – and didn’t want to risk waiting until Day 2 to snag Cooper.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NY Jets draft Omar Cooper Jr. in first round after trade with 49ers