NFL Draft intel: Five prospects on the rise — including Indiana's Omar Cooper Jr.

"[Cooper] is a name to know for the upcoming class," wrote ESPN's Matt Miller in a story published Sunday. "I checked in with scouts following the toe-tapping catch and consistently heard Day 2 for him. The 6-foot, 201-pound wideout stepped up big with Elijah Sarratt out due to injury."

Tankathon's latest mock draft has the Detroit Lions selecting Cooper with pick No. 134 in the fourth round. But he could go higher than that if he helps No. 2 Indiana (10-0) make a deep College Football Playoff run. 

Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza 

Per ESPN's Jordan Reid, Jets general manager Darren Mougey and senior football advisor Rick Spielman attended Week 11's Indiana-Penn State matchup. The team may be eyeing Mendoza. It previously scouted him in a 56-6 Week 9 win over UCLA. 

Against Penn State, Mendoza didn't have one of his better performances, finishing 19-of-30 passing for 218 yards, one TD and one interception. However, he engineered a winning 10-play, 80-yard drive. Following the win. Indiana linebacker Aiden Fisher said that was the QB's "Heisman moment." 

Scouts still may want to see more from Mendoza (6-foot-5, 225 pounds) before tabbing him as QB1 of the draft. On a Tuesday episode of his podcast, The Ringer's Todd McShay said the QB's eyes tend to drop when a play doesn't go to plan, which could lead to him taking sacks in the NFL.

"This is the trend that's starting to scare me," McShay said. "It's correctable. But I'm not seeing correction this year." 

Alabama QB Ty Simpson 

On a Monday episode of "The Pat McAfee Show," ESPN/Amazon Prime analyst Kirk Herbstreit said he believes Simpson is QB1 in the upcoming class.

Simpson has exceeded expectations in his first season as a starter. He is tied for ninth in the FBS in TD passes (21 in nine games) and ranks 16th in passing yards (2,461).

If Simpson declares for the draft, his lack of experience will be a concern for teams. QBs who start one season in college usually flop in the NFL. See Indianapolis Colts third-year QB Anthony Richardson, who's now backing up Daniel Jones. The Alabama star, though, looks much more pro-ready than Richardson did when he left Florida.

"Mendoza has a leg up right now, but you'd never guess that Simpson has only made a handful of starts," an AFC scout told Reid Sunday. "He's small [6-foot-2, 208 pounds], but that dude makes big-time throws every week in the best conference in the country."  

Ohio State LB Arvell Reese 

In his latest mock draft, Josh Edwards of CBS Sports has the Tennessee Titans taking Reese — who has 10 tackles for loss in nine games — with pick No. 1. That would be an unconventional choice. 

No LB has gone No. 1 overall in the draft since the Atlanta Falcons took former Auburn star Aundray Bruce in 1988. He flopped in the NFL, never making a Pro Bowl in 11 seasons with the Falcons and Las Vegas Raiders. 

On his updated big board, The Athletic's Dane Brugler wrote he's uncertain whether Reese will be the top pick in the draft but tabbed him as his No. 1 prospect. 

"At 6-foot-4 and 243 pounds, Reese is just as comfortable setting the edge with violence as he is dropping into space to cover ground or using burst to capture the corner and close on the quarterback," wrote Brugler.

Mississippi State CB Kelley Jones

The 5-5 Bulldogs have few NFL prospects on their roster, but Jones is a name worth remembering. 

"I believe Mississippi State's Kelley Jones has a chance to be the top cornerback in the class," wrote ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. in a story published Sunday. "At 6-foot-4, 195 pounds, he can fly. Watch for him to run around 4.4 seconds or better in the 40-yard dash [at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, scheduled Feb. 26-March 1 in Indianapolis]."

Jones is also excellent in pass coverage. Through 10 games, he's tied for fourth in the FBS in passes defended (11). In a 41-21 Week 11 loss to Georgia, he had two passes defended and two tackles.