With the 2026 NFL season around the corner, New York Jets fans are excited to see the newly revamped roster in action during Week One.

On offense, the Jets are set to return star wide receiver Garrett Wilson for the upcoming season, as he is projected to play a significant role in the passing game. But outside of the Jets’ 2022 first-round pick, the second wide receiver remains a massive question mark, with the battle for the spot occurring between third-year wideout AD Mitchell and 2026 first-round pick Omar Cooper Jr.

While Mitchell has continued to make great progress throughout the course of the offseason, Cooper’s high ceiling could make the competition interesting heading into the season.

After trading star cornerback Sauce Gardner during the 2025 NFL Trade Deadline, the Jets were able to acquire Mitchell in the massive deal in hopes for him to be the much-needed complementary piece to Wilson. In his eight games without the team’s No. 1 wide receiver, the 23-year-old showed promise, recording 301 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 24 receptions.

However, the progress Mitchell made in 2025 did not prevent New York from adding an additional receiver in the 2026 NFL Draft, as general manager Darren Mougey traded up into the first round to select Cooper. The electric playmaker finished his final college season with 937 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns on 69 receptions, while also playing a key role on the Hoosiers’ high-powered offense.

Now, with Mitchell making tremendous strides this offseason and Cooper set to join the wide receiver corps in 2026, the question becomes: who will be the Jets’ true second option in the passing game this season?

Looking at newly hired offensive coordinator Frank Reich’s system, both Mitchell and Cooper will play key roles on offense in 2026. But Mitchell’s ability to be a terrific deep threat will allow Reich to call more shot plays downfield, while also gifting quarterback Geno Smith a true, reliable threat to take the top off opposing defenses.

Still, there’s a reason why Mougey felt obligated to trade up into the first round for Cooper. This is because of his incredible ability to create yards after the catch, which fits perfectly in the projected offensive game plan under Reich. During his time with the Indianapolis Colts, the former head coach used Zach Pascal in the short and intermediate game due to his unique play style in space.

Cooper should be a more dynamic receiver than Pascal, who finished with the most receiving yards on the Colts in 2019.

Mitchell’s experience in the NFL and his ability to stretch the field will create a necessary role on offense for the Jets this season, but by the end of the season, Cooper should likely emerge as the team’s secondary wide receiver behind Wilson.

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