Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr. has plenty of hype entering the 2026 NFL Draft. Cooper played a vital role in Indiana's National Championship-winning season, and emerged as Fernando Mendoza's top target. He led the Hoosiers in receptions (69) and receiving yards (937) in 2025, and was tied for third in the country with 13 receiving touchdowns. Leading up to April's draft, the Indianapolis native is poised to make an immediate impact on Sundays for his future NFL team.
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Cooper has drawn great interest from a plethora of NFL teams, and his draft stock is on the rise. As it stands, Cooper is slated to be a late first round or early second round pick. His well-rounded skill set and elite athleticism could some in handy for a bunch of teams, and one AFC contender is giving Cooper plenty of attention in the pre-draft process.
Denver Broncos host visit with Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr.
On Firday, the Denver Broncos hosted a pre-draft top-30 visit with Cooper. According to Luca Evans of The Denver Post, Cooper was in Denver on Friday meeting with Broncos personnel.
Sources: Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr. has a 30 visit set up with the #Broncos. He’ll be in Denver tomorrow.
— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) March 12, 2026
Had 69 catches for 937 yards, 13 TD last year for national champs. Could be a target at No. 30 in April’s draft.
Cooper's skill set could make for an ideal fit in Sean Payton's offense with the Broncos. Cooper doesn't have elite size at 6'0" 201-pounds, but that isn't a necessity in playing wideout in a Payton-led offense. Payton utilized many undersized receivers in New Orleans during his time with the Saints, and entering Year 4 in Denver, it wouldn't be surprising to see him go for a guy like Cooper in the draft.
Coming off an appearance in the AFC Championship Game this past season, Denver could benefit from some wide receiver help. Courtland Sutton is a solid WR1, but he turns 31 later this year. Behind him, Denver has struggled to find a consistent WR2. Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims, and Pat Bryant have all had their opportunities, but none of them have been able to stand out as Bo Nix's top target after Sutton.
Cooper is reliable, consistent, and a great route runner. He can also rack up yards after the catch, which is a vital part of Payton's offensive scheme. Cooper averaged 7.1 yards after the catch this season, and led the Big Ten with nine touchdown catches of 10+ yards.
The Broncos own the 30th overall selection, and it seems that they are very interested in taking Cooper. They don't pick again until late in the 2nd round with the 62nd overall selection, and Cooper will likely be long gone by then. So if he is available at 30th overall, Denver may pounce.
The 2026 NFL Draft is set for April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.