Indiana's Cooper could be luxury pick for Cowboys in NFL Draft

Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr. could be luxury pick for Cowboys in 2026 NFL Draft

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Mar 26, 2026 2:58 PM ET

The Dallas Cowboys must refurbish their defense in the 2026 NFL Draft (scheduled April 23-25 in Pittsburgh), but there's little downside to taking Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr.

The Cowboys seem interested in the 6-foot, 199-pound wide receiver. On Thursday, NFL Media's Tom Pelissero reported the Cowboys are one of eight teams hosting Cooper on a top-30 visit. NFL teams can host up to 30 prospects before the draft to get to know them better.

Omar Cooper Jr. shouldn't be Cowboys' No. 1 target, but should consider him if available

The Cowboys already boast a high-flying offense featuring quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. In 2025, Dallas ranked second in the league in passing yards (266.3 yards per game) and seventh in scoring (27.7 points per game).

Dallas' defense, meanwhile, was a mess. The Cowboys ranked 30th in yards allowed (377 YPG) and last in points surrendered (30.1 PPG).

Former Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr. is visiting the Cowboys today, per source.

It’s one of at least eight pre-draft visits for Cooper, who kept the Hoosiers’ perfect season alive with one of the greatest catches in football history:

pic.twitter.com/RwyCXSe1W8
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 26, 2026

Dallas owns picks No. 12 and No. 20 in the first round of the draft and doesn't pick again until the third. The Cowboys could double-dip on defense. Tankathon has them taking Oregon Ducks safety Dillon Thieneman (6-foot, 201 pounds) with selection No. 12 and Auburn Tigers defensive end Keldric Faulk (6-foot-6, 276 pounds) with selection No. 20.

However, if Dallas wanted to use one of its first-rounders (perhaps pick No. 20) on Cooper, that wouldn't be an awful choice. Adding a WR3 would be a luxury pick, but it could make their passing attack even more explosive.

"He reminds me a lot of a faster Jarvis Landry [five-time Pro Bowler], who was one of my all-time favorite receivers to scout when he was coming out of LSU because of his toughness, attention to detail and competitiveness," wrote The Ringer's Steve Muench of Cooper in his scouting report.

Cooper (13 touchdown catches in 2025, tied for No. 3 in FBS) would provide insurance for the Cowboys if they lost Pickens in 2027. Dallas has placed the franchise tag (a one-year deal) on the WR but has yet to sign him to a multiyear contract.

It's worth noting that the Cowboys have already made moves to upgrade their defense, including acquiring defensive end Rashan Gary in a trade with the Green Bay Packers. Pro Football Focus credited him with 60 pressures last season, tied for No. 20 among edge-rushers.

Retooling the defense remains paramount for the Cowboys. Still, Cooper may help Prescott throw more TD passes after tossing 30 last season, and that would help Dallas rebound into playoff contention after a 7-9-1 season.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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