Another pass catcher will follow Kenyon Sadiq to the Jets. The team traded up (via the 49ers) to add Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr.
The Jets are trading Nos. 33 and 179 to the 49ers, who have moved down a second time tonight. San Francisco previously slid down three spots to No. 30 via Miami. The 49ers join the Bills in trading out of Round 1 tonight. Buffalo made three trade-down moves; San Francisco made two.
Although the Jets were high on Cooper, the team was believed to like him better at No. 33 than No. 16. That report turned out to be in line with the club’s thinking. New York used its No. 16 pick on Sadiq, and Cooper will head east via the team’s third choice tonight.
This marks the second time in five drafts the Jets made three first-round picks; they also have three firsts in 2027. New York drafted Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson and Jermaine Johnson in 2022. As the Jets have restocked their roster under GM Darren Mougey and HC Aaron Glenn, Gardner and Johnson have both been traded since November. Wilson signed an extension last year; now, Cooper will profile as a high-end complementary target — at least, the Jets hope that will be the case.
Cooper joins Adonai Mitchell — obtained in the Gardner trade — as rookie-deal cogs set to flank Wilson. Two years remain on Mitchell’s rookie contract, while Cooper’s deal can run through 2030 via the fifth-year option. The past two Jet GMs have now invested a first-round pick at wideout; the team had previously gone from Santana Moss (2001) to Wilson between such moves.
Ranking 17th on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, Cooper heads to New York after helping Fernando Mendoza guide Indiana to a storybook unbeaten season. Helping a formerly downtrodden program complete a stunning two-year rise to the top of the sport, Cooper caught 69 passes for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns during his final Hoosiers season. Cooper’s highwire act in the end zone in the final minute of Indiana’s Penn State matchup kept the Hoosiers’ undefeated, and he totaled five catches for 71 yards in the team’s national championship victory over Miami.
The 199-pound receiver prospect clocked a 4.42-second 40-yard dash at the Combine. Displaying quality route-running ability with run-after-catch success, Cooper will join a Jets team that managed to complete a 17-game season without a 400-yard receiver emerging. That was an organizational first since the 1976 Lou Holtz-helmed season. While Wilson’s injury led directly to this stat, the team was in dire need of auxiliary help when Wilson was on the field. Cooper brings a good chance of providing it come September.
I would rather have Cooper
Agreed, I liked the first trade down, but then trading out of the first round to pick up a late 5th rounder? Seems like a weak return. Would have preferred to pick up Cooper
Solid
Jets have put together a solid draft if Bailey pans out.
Sadiq and Cooper is a huge infusion of talent for their WR corps.
Now if they can only find a QB…
Honestly I think they should see if they could pry Mac Jones away from SF and give him a gap shot while they look at the next draft or two for a QB. Line is ok and the weapons are in position. Geno coming full circle is not the answer. Even if it’s for one year (unless a planned tank is in order, but they can’t even do that right).
Geno is already in place for the gap shot. Both he and Mac Jones are not short term nor long term answers. Would not be in their best interests to give up assets for what would likely be the same result
Mac is in the same situation as was Sam Darnold. BU at SF and moved on to eventually win a SB. Still young and proved he can succeed when given the right tools to work with.
Geno has age against him. He’s strictly a gap filler, if not BU to a team looking to tank (…Jets).