INDIANAPOLIS — Omar Cooper Jr. smiled Friday afternoon, as he remembered an amusing moment in a recent sit-down with the Dallas Cowboys.

Locked into the pre-draft process now, and back in his hometown for the NFL Combine, Cooper has been sitting for interviews with a handful of teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans and Buffalo Bills, as well as Dallas.

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During his interview with the Cowboys, Cooper fielded a question about naming Dallas’ current receiver group. His mind defaulted to the meeting he’d just concluded, with Tennessee, and before he could think twice he mentioned Calvin Ridley.

“We all just laughed,” Cooper, a Lawrence North grad who played for Indiana football, said.

Such has been the breakneck pace of the last few weeks for a player beginning to climb the boards ahead of April’s NFL draft.

Following an All-Big Ten 2025 season that saw Cooper lead the national-champion Hoosiers in receiving yards, the former Lawrence North standout opted for the NFL. With league eyes fixed squarely on the Combine this week in Indy, Cooper’s stock is rising — perhaps as far as the back end of the first round.

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His combination of speed, hands, yards-after-catch ability and elasticity have teams intrigued.

And while Cooper won’t participate much in this week’s activities beyond the vertical jump and the 40-yard dash (like many teammates, he’ll do full testing at IU’s pro day in the spring), he’s embracing the process and eager to see what’s next.

“I’m blessed,” he said, “to wear whatever team drafts me.”

Cooper has spent the last few weeks training at a facility in Dallas. Like his IU teammates, the late end to the season meant adjusting his pre-draft calendar, and Cooper is expected to participate in more drills and testing when Indiana hosts its pro day April 1.

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Listed at 6 foot, 204 pounds, Cooper finished last season with 69 catches for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns.

He spent much of 2025 playing in the slot for offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan, moving inside from the boundary position he manned the season before. Cooper believes that versatility increases his appeal to NFL teams.

“I played outside until this year,” Cooper said. “(Shanahan) did a really good job teaching me and just continuing to help me grow in that area.”

A high-floor catch radius and significant yards-after-contact performance — Cooper was among the best YAC receivers in the country in 2025 — also bolster his profile. Speaking earlier Friday, Fernando Mendoza compared Cooper to “prime Deebo Samuel,” referencing the former South Carolina receiver who was named to the Pro Bowl with San Francisco in 2021.

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Cooper also referenced Ja’Marr Chase, Davante Adams and Amon-Ra St. Brown as NFL receivers he studies closely.

“Being compared to a player like Deebo is just a blessing,” Cooper said. “He’s a really great player and has established himself in the league.”

Ultimately, Cooper said he’ll happily embrace the role he’s handed.

Whether it’s outside, opposite an established receiver, leaning on his burst, or inside, delivering crunching blocks and snooping for open space to fill in the pass game, Cooper said he welcomes whatever the team that drafts him asks of him.

The Day 2 grade he received during his draft deliberation process now looks increasingly out of date. That team — whichever it is — might not have the luxury of waiting until after the first round to grab a player whose versatility and athleticism are driving his stock upward.

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“I’m just the guy,” Cooper said, “that’s going out there to do whatever the team needs.”

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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana football receiver Omar Cooper Jr. NFL draft, player comparisons