Is anybody else ready to be done with the drama surrounding San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk? The wideout hasn't suited up in over 14 months, yet he has been the subject of so much speculation surrounding the team.
At this point, it's clear that Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch are ready to move on.
But without Aiyuk around, the Niners will need to add another receiver this offseason. Luckily, there are plenty of intriguing prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft class.
FanSided's Cody Williams paired San Francisco with Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. in the first round of his recent mock draft. With Aiyuk headed out the door, the fit makes perfect sense.
49ers replace Brandon Aiyuk with Omar Cooper Jr. in mock draft
For all of his highlight-worthy catches, Cooper hasn't quite cracked the first round of most mock drafts. He was one of the biggest surprises in FanSided's three-round mock.
Williams backed up the pick, saying:
"Omar Cooper Jr. isn't getting a ton of first-round buzz as things currently stand, but I'm projecting a bit of what I think is going to happen with the Indiana star. He's not the biggest player, but he plays bigger than his frame, and he has arguably the surest hands in the class. I saw a comparison to Jarvis Landry, and that feels like his mold. The 49ers offense needs that type of target hog with Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings likely gone from the receiver room this offseason."
The 49ers receiver room is going to look drastically different in 2026. Ricky Pearsall is the only top target sticking around. San Francisco will likely look to add another receiver in the offseason, and Cooper could be the perfect fit.
He has a massive catch radius, showing impressive body control in the air and strong hands to pull the ball down. While he's had some concentration drops in college, he wins contested catches at an encouraging rate.
Cooper was overshadowed by Indiana teammate Elijah Sarratt for most of the 2025 season. Throughout the draft process, Sarratt has often been ranked higher than the smaller receiver. But the tides have started to change as scouts dive deeper into Cooper's film.
It may feel like a reach to project Cooper inside the first round right now, but he may keep rising through the rest of the draft process. Picking him up with the 27th pick is nothing to scoff at.