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Former Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr trying to make a play during a college football game versus Illinois.
The New York Jets hit two birds with one stone.
With the San Francisco 49ers on the clock with the No. 30 overall pick in the first round, the Jets struck a deal. They flipped the No. 33 overall pick in the second round and the No. 179 overall pick in the fifth round to move back into the first round.
The Jets selected Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr with that selection. The Buffalo Bills, who held the No. 31 overall pick, immediately traded out of the first round after the Jets made their selection.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini revealed on the “Jets Collective” podcast that Buffalo’s interest in Cooper motivated the green and white.
“Well, the reason why they traded up is because they thought Buffalo was going to take Cooper at [pick No.] 31. So they anticipated that. That was their intel. It’s funny how, as soon as they traded up and took him, Buffalo traded out. Buffalo trades out with Tennessee, and so that’s why the Jets did the Cooper deal. They did it because I think he was rated very closely to [Kenyon] Sadiq on their draft board. Also, they wanted the fifth-year option,” Cimini said.
.@RichCimini explained to @JakeAsman & @BrandonTierney that the #Jets traded up to pick No. 30 for WR Omar Cooper Jr because they had intel that the #Bills were going to take him at pick No. 31: 👀
‘They anticipated that. That was their intel. It’s funny how as soon as they
ESPN’s Field Yates revealed his favorite picks from every round of the NFL draft.
One of his favorite selections in the first round was the Jets trading up for Cooper.
“The Jets traded back into the first round to land Cooper, completing a productive Thursday night that featured three picks. He is an instinctive run-after-catch player who has very good contact strength, vision and toughness,” Yates explained.
“In 2025, Cooper did the dirty work as a blocker, hauled in 13 receiving touchdowns, and made clutch plays when it mattered. Garrett Wilson will enjoy his new running mate,” Yates added.
One of the team’s top tasks this offseason was finding a reliable running mate to pair up with Wilson.
Instead of finding just a Robin to his Batman, they found an entire Justice League of offensive talent.
With the No. 16 overall pick, they took Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq. The Jets had Sadiq ranked over a group of the wide receivers who were available, including USC’s Makai Lemon, who ended up being selected by the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Jets didn’t rest on their laurels with one weapon. They got aggressive and moved back up to secure their wide receiver target.
The Jets went from having one of the worst groups of offensive skill talent to perhaps one of the best.
Wide receiver:
Tight end:
Running back:
You pair all of that with a potent offensive line that has a chance to be one of the best in the league, and you have a recipe for success.
The Jets haven’t had a top-10 offense since the 2015 season. In 2026, the Jets could finally break the drought or at the very least be a lot more competnent which would be a massive upgrade.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, "The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital." Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
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