Raiders cannot pass on elite playmaker for more than 1 reason, if he falls to them at pick No. 36 in the 2026 NFL Draft
The Las Vegas Raiders would be dumb if they passed on former Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. at 36. The only thing is, Cooper Jr. could very well not be there at pick No. 36.
The Las Vegas Raiders are in a weird place when it comes to their wide receiver room. They just drafted two wide receivers last year, one in the second round and one in the fourth round. But those guys didn’t do much last season. So, we should see them take one this year.
If Omar Cooper Jr., the former Indiana wide receiver, is there at pick No. 36, they cannot pass on him, for more than a few reasons.
Omar Cooper Jr. should be the pick at 36 if he’s available
It’s starting to feel like Cooper will be a first-round pick. The closer we get to the draft, the more it seems both sides know he won’t be there. However, there are always trades. But, if for some reason Cooper falls in the draft, he has to be the pick at No. 36. Let’s start with the obvious—he’s very good.
According to Warren Sharp, Cooper forced a missed tackle on 39% of receptions, which is first in the class. This ability to make defenders miss translates into more yardage per play. Additionally, 19% of his catches resulted in a touchdown, good enough for second-best in the class, which means he has a proven knack for finishing drives in the end zone. He also averages 7.2 yards after the catch, ranking eighth in the class, indicating he consistently creates more every play. With 22 career touchdowns and only five drops on 171 catches, Cooper brings reliability and big-play ability that the Raiders’ offense is lacking.
Getting Fernando Mendoza’s go-to guy would be smart
You want your rookie QB to have someone he’s comfortable throwing to. So, why not get a guy with elite potential who was his former teammate? The chemistry would be unmatched. And finally, they should because they desperately need another receiver, and it’s obvious they think the same.
Pre-draft visits don’t tell you who a team is going to draft. It does say who they are interested in, though. Well, that, or maybe a team will meet with a player to get some intel on a teammate. However, the Raiders’ list of pre-draft visits shows one position appearing more than others.
The Raiders have met with Georgia State WR Ted Hurst, ECU WR Anthony Smith, and Texas A&M WR KC Concepcion, Alabama WR Germie Bernard, Washington WR Denzel Boston, Louisville WR Chris Bell, Texas Tech WR Caleb Douglas, Georgia WR Zachariah Branch, and Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr.
The significance of this is clear: seven of those guys are top-30 visits, which means that they are heavily considering taking a wide receiver in this draft. You only get 30 top-30 visits, and seven of the 15 they have done so far are wide receivers.
Taking a closer look at the roster, they don’t have a star wide receiver or a No. 1 guy. They may not even have a No. 2 guy, although Jalen Nailor is expected to be the best guy in the room. The WR room is filled with a ton of potential. Guys like Jack Bech, Dont’e Thornton, Tre Tucker, and Nailor ooz potential. However, none of them have really done anything that should make you feel good enough to leave that room as it is. Not to mention, they need an X receiver, but they may not end up going that direction.
“I think everyone would love the traditional Megatron X in their offense,” Kubiak said when asked about the need at the position. “You don’t see those guys as much. I think you’re just trying to get your five best eligibles however you can get them and then go get them open on game day.”
Ultimately, the Raiders just need dudes who can get open and make plays at that position. Cooper can be the guy for the Raiders.
