The Kansas City Chiefs are expected to address their receiver room through the draft ahead of Patrick Mahomes’ return from ACL injury.
The Chiefs let wide receiver Hollywood Brown walk in free agency, with the speedster signing a one-year, $5 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. Brown caught 49 passes for 587 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2025, but his inconsistency pushed both sides toward a split. Now, Kansas City needs another weapon, and in PFSN’s latest mock draft, the AFC West team is projected to select Omar Cooper Jr.
Omar Cooper Jr. Will Bring Big-Play Ability to the Chiefs
PFSN’s T.J. Randall projected the Chiefs to land Cooper with their second first-round pick, acquired from the Los Angeles Rams in the Trent McDuffie trade. The selection came after he projected Kansas City to draft Mansoor Delane with the ninth overall pick.
“Swapping the need-picks for the Kansas City Chiefs in this version nets Kansas City Delane and the threatening Omar Cooper Jr., what a duo,” Randall wrote. “Few receivers in the class share the Indiana wideout’s penchant for widening throwing lanes at all three levels.”
Cooper emerged as one of college football’s most dynamic playmakers in head coach Curt Cignetti’s offense. He finished his final season at Indiana with 69 catches for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns, including a program-record-tying 4-touchdown performance against Indiana State.
His career numbers are even more impressive: 115 catches for 1,798 yards and 24 total touchdowns across four seasons. He led all qualified Big Ten receivers with 21.2 yards per catch in 2024, showcasing the kind of explosive ability that opens up everything else in an offense.
The Chiefs’ current receiver room features wide receivers Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Tyquan Thornton, who re-signed on a two-year deal worth up to $11 million after shedding his bust label in Kansas City. Rice remains the clear WR1, though his availability has been a constant question.
He missed 6 games due to suspension in 2025 and finished with 53 catches for 571 yards and 5 touchdowns. Despite limited action, according to PFSN’s WR Impact Metric, Rice was the 16th-ranked receiver in the league last season with an impact score of 82. This indicates that he is a legitimate reliable option for Mahomes when he’s on the field.
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The good news for Kansas City: The NFL announced Friday it would not discipline Rice in connection with domestic violence allegations made by his ex-girlfriend, closing the investigation and clearing him for the start of the 2026 season. Having Rice available for all 17 games changes the calculus for head coach Andy Reid’s offense.
Still, adding Cooper would give Mahomes another vertical threat who can win at all three levels. Cooper’s toe-tap touchdown against Penn State that sealed Indiana’s first win at Beaver Stadium showed the kind of contested-catch ability the Chiefs need. With Rice, Worthy, Thornton, and Cooper, Kansas City would finally have the receiver depth to support Mahomes’ return from his ACL injury.
