49ers draft crush: An offense that suddenly lacks YAC could use Omar Cooper Jr.

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Samuel coined the moniker “YAC Bros” in 2020, the year the 49ers led the NFL by averaging 6.2 yards after their catches. And it only went up from there — 6.8 yards in 2021, 6.7 in 2022 and 6.4 when they went to Super Bowl LVIII. In 2024, however, the team’s average YAC dropped to the middle of the pack at 5.3 before sinking to 4.7 last season. That ranked 28th, according to Pro Football Focus, and it was the lowest mark in Kyle Shanahan’s nine seasons in San Francisco. Samuel’s gone. Aiyuk is gonna be gone. And by the time the regular season begins, McCaffrey and Kittle will be in their 30s. Clearly, the 49ers need a youth and YAC infusion. Which is why this year’s Draft Crush™ makes so much sense. He’s a 200-pounder with the balance of Simone Biles. He’s a receiver who racked up 705 YAC and 22 touchdowns over the last two seasons. He’s the guy who made the biggest, and perhaps best, catch of the 2025 college football season in the back of the end zone at Penn State. He is … Indiana receiver Omar Cooper Jr. (Wait for crowd to sit, applause to die down.) Cooper’s been getting a lot of Samuel comparisons in the run-up to the draft due to the 27 missed tackles he forced last season. That’s the most of any wide receiver in this year’s class and is six more than USC’s Makai Lemon, who’s expected to be taken in the middle of the first round. Cooper, however, isn’t quite Deebo Deux. The latter plays at 225 pounds and is best getting up to speed and using his heft like a wrecking ball. Cooper was roughly 25 pounds lighter at the NFL combine, where he ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash and had a vertical jump of 37 inches. In some ways — leaping ability and body control — he’s a bit like Aiyuk, whose high hurdle of a Philadelphia Eagles defender in 2020 prompted the YAC Bros nickname. You need only watch Cooper’s back-of-end-zone ascent — and perhaps more impressive, the toe-tap descent — against Penn State to appreciate his hops. Or note that as a high school track athlete, he once recorded a long jump of 21 feet, 11 ¾ inches, which is nearly two feet longer than a shipping container. THROW OF THE YEAR!CATCH OF THE YEAR! Indiana's Fernando Mendoza and Omar Cooper Jr. make an unreal play for a go-ahead TD vs. Penn State with 36 seconds left. 🎥 @CFBONFOX pic.twitter.com/mX4qr3AOe1 — The Athletic (@TheAthletic) November 8, 2025 Every draft seems to include a receiver who gets the Samuel comparison. Two years ago, it was Western Kentucky’s Malachi Corley, who went to the New York Jets in the third round. Last year, it was TCU’s Savion Williams, a third-rounder to the Green Bay Packers. Those players, however, were one-trick magicians in college — feasting on screens and quick hitters, then bullying smaller, slower defenders. Neither showed natural hands. Williams had eight drops in his final college season, Corley six. Cooper, meanwhile, has a deeper bag. Sure, he caught his fair share of quick-throw targets. And, yes, he worked mainly out of the slot last season. But that was due to injuries to Indiana’s other slot receivers. He played on the outside in 2024, was comfortable catching passes in traffic and had five drops total during his college career. As a rookie, he could line up in the slot. Or outside. Or in the backfield, which the Hoosiers did on occasion last season. Or the 49ers could put him in motion before the snap, the way Shanahan used to do with Samuel. Wherever Cooper lines up, he’ll help the 49ers get their YAC back. An inside-outside weapon with run-after-catch ability. Day 2 Crush: Edge Jaishawn Barham, Michigan. You can feel his intensity through the television screen. Barham only started playing on the edge during his final college season but showed a knack for it. At minimum, he could compete for the SAM linebacker spot as a rookie. He has the length to cover tight ends and the juice to rush the passer. Day 3 Crush: RB/WR Eli Heidenreich, Navy. Those who follow this space probably sensed Heidenreich was in the running for the Bar-rose. Shanahan has a fondness for offensive weapons who can catch and run. Heidenreich in 2025: 499 rushing yards, 941 receiving yards. I’ve been doing Draft Crush™ since 2008, and a number of my favorites have been wide receivers. How have I done? Well, um, uh … I’d describe my success at this position as Baalke-ian. 2009: Percy Harvin: Offensive Rookie of the Year! Super Bowl Champion! More than 5,000 combined yards for his career! Matt is off to a fantastic start! (If you’re bored and want to stop reading, I’d understand. In fact, I’d encourage it.) 2014: Cody Latimer: True story: A few years ago I bumped into Latimer in Colorado. He was getting ready for a season with his latest team … the XFL’s Orlando Guardians. 2015: DeVante Parker: When you hear “Davante Adams” you think of touchdowns. When you hear “DeVante Parker” you think of soft-tissue injuries. 2020: Denzel Mims: Yeesh. Mims’ ever-changing resume includes stints with some real dogs: St. Louis Battlehawks, Dallas Renegades, New York Jets. 2021: Amari Rodgers: Wanting to cleanse myself of the Mims pick, I immediately returned to the receiver well and somehow became grimier. 2024: Adonai Mitchell: He’s already been traded once, but I’m telling you: This guy’s about to pop! Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Matt Barrows is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the 49ers. He joined The Athletic in 2018 and has covered the 49ers since 2003. He was a reporter with The Sacramento Bee for 19 years, four of them as a Metro reporter. Before that he spent two years in South Carolina with The Hilton Head Island Packet. Follow Matt on Twitter @MattBarrows