Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. is meeting with the Dallas Cowboys.
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Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. is meeting with the Dallas Cowboys.
Of all the areas on the Dallas Cowboys roster that appear pretty well set for 2026, wide receiver is at or near the top of the list. The Cowboys had arguably the best 1-2 punch in the game at the position, with George Pickens ranking No. 3 in yardage at 1,429 last season, and CeeDee Lamb at No. 11 with 1,077 yards. Only two other teams had two receivers with more than 1,000 yards, the Lions and Eagles.
Throw in the exciting emergence of second-year man Ryan Flournoy, who had two 100-yard games at times when Lamb was injured, and this is as good a receiver room as the Cowboys have had in a long time.
So it was with some surprise that the Cowboys, in laying out their Top 30 visits for various prospects before the draft next month, chose to bring in Indiana star receiver Omar Cooper, a potential first-round pick, as one of their meetings according to reporter Ryan Fowler of “Commanding the Huddle,” who wrote on Twitter/X: “Source: The Dallas Cowboys will host Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr for a 30 visit. One of the premier wideouts in the class.”
Cowboys Could Stretch for Omar Cooper
Were the Cowboys serious about choosing Cooper with the No. 20 pick, or perhaps trading back to land him late in the first round or early in the second? Would such a move amount to a hedge against a potential holdout from Pickens, who wants a big, long-term deal, but is on the franchise tag instead? Or are the Cowboys just considering leaning into a strength and adding another big talent to the WR group?
Cowboys beat writer Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram said there’s probably a much simpler reason for the meeting with Cooper–Dallas takes the notion of know thine enemy very seriously.
Cowboys Like to Scout Potential Division Foes
Speaking on the DLLS Cowboys podcast this week, Harris pointed out that the Cowboys frequently view the Top 30 visits as scouting opportunities, especially for players they foresee landing in the NFC East.
Both the Eagles (picks No. 23, 54) and Giants (No. 37) have picks that could be in Cooper’s range, and are good candidates to take receivers this year.
“Omar Cooper is the interesting one,” Harris said, “that’s a guy who could go in the first round at the very least will go in the Top 50. The Cowboys with their 30 visits … they like to bring in a couple of guys that they think might wind up in the division. I think that’s a perfect example of one. He could very well wind up in Philadelphia if Philadelphia figures out what the hell to do with AJ Brown.
“He could very well end up in New York. There’s a lot of scenarios where he ends up in the division. I think that’s what’s happening with that one.”
Omar Cooper to the Eagles?
If the Cowboys did want to take Cooper themselves as a hedge against a Pickens trade, they’d be getting a guy who might be higher up on draft boards if not for the depth at the receiver position in this draft.
Cooper had 69 catches and 937 yards, with 13 touchdowns for the CFB champion Indiana Hoosiers last season, and is projected at No. 23 to the Eagles by ESPN’s Field Yates.
Yates wrote of Cooper: “Philadelphia would be thin long term at receiver without Brown, which is where Cooper could help. He’s one of the best players in space from this class, averaging 7.3 yards after the catch in 2025. Plus, he can block extremely well downfield, which would fare well for running back Saquon Barkley.”