Jets may need a Plan B at wide receiver in the 2026 NFL Draft

If the New York Jets do not have an opportunity to select Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, or USC's Makai Lemon in the 2026 NFL Draft, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman has two other possible receivers in mind.

In his April 1 mock draft, Feldman had the Jets selecting Tyson at No. 16 overall after taking Ohio State edge rusher Arvell Reese at No. 2. However, he also suggested the Jets could target Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr. or Washington’s Denzel Boston at that spot.

If Feldman is correct, the Jets shouldn’t expect either receiver to fall out of the first round. Feldman predicted that the Cowboys would select Boston at No. 20, with Cooper going one pick later to the Steelers.

Do Denzel Boston or Omar Cooper Jr. make sense for the Jets?

Boston and Cooper both make sense for a Jets team desperately needing another playmaking receiver. Garrett Wilson remains entrenched as the top dog, but the rest of the depth behind him doesn’t exactly turn heads.

The only notable player behind Wilson is Adonai Mitchell, a midseason arrival who recorded 24 catches for 301 yards and two touchdowns in eight games with the Jets.

The 6-foot-4, 212-pound Boston constantly frustrated Big Ten defenses the last two years, totaling 125 catches for 1,715 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Huskies in that span. He broke into the starting lineup in 2024 after playing his first two seasons behind the trio of Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, and Ja’Lynn Polk.

Cooper has a smaller frame, clocking in at 6-foot and 199 pounds at the NFL Combine. Although Cooper truly broke out with Fernando Mendoza throwing to him last season, he’d flashed immense playmaking potential a year earlier, when he averaged 21.2 yards per catch and scored eight all-purpose touchdowns.

Then came the chance to play with Mendoza — an opportunity that Cooper took full advantage of. Cooper hauled in 69 catches for 937 yards and 14 total touchdowns, averaging 14 yards per touch for the national champion Hoosiers.

Feldman’s mock comes days after NFL Media’s Mike Band also predicted the Jets would take a receiver at No. 16, albeit in the form of Lemon; Feldman projected the Rams would draft Lemon at No. 13 in his mock.