For any team in any major sport, it's an uncomfortable feeling to not have direct control over one's own destiny. The Cincinnati Bengals find themselves in that very predicament in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Cincinnati needs help on defense like humans need oxygen to breathe. Unfortunately, so do several other teams ahead of the Bengals, who don't go on the clock on draft night until the 10th overall pick.
But one completely overlooked betting trend that you, reader, have not read about anywhere else could lead to a shocking top-10 pick that cuts Cincinnati's brain trust a major break. However improbable it may seem, well, we have to cling to any hope we can get.
Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr. gaining serious steam in NFL Draft betting odds for No. 7 overall pick
When you pair the massive odds movement with the Washington Commanders' roster outlook, it's not as much of a stretch to suggest that Indiana wideout Omar Cooper Jr. could be their pick at No. 7 overall.
Over at DraftKings earlier this week, Cooper was listed at +7500 odds to be the seventh pick, and was as high as +10000 at bet365.
Wanna know where Cooper is listed as of today? DK's got him at +2500; bet365 is +4000.
Still sounds like a long shot, right? Now this is where we get into the Commanders' side of things and why Cooper makes more sense for them than meets the eye.
Riggo's Rag site expert Dean Jones put forth the top five targets for Washington at No. 7 for FanSided's interactive NFL Draft big board. That quintet of prospects aligns with the vast majority of mock drafts you'll see across the Internet.
In fact, there's overlap on three of five players between the Commanders and who I came up with for the Bengals at No. 10. Those are as follows:
- Commanders: 1. Sonny Styles; 2. Caleb Downs; 3. Jeremiyah Love; 4. Mansoor Delane; 5. Carnell Tate
- Bengals: 1. Sonny Styles; 2. Rueben Bain Jr.; 3. Kenyon Sadiq; 4. Jeremiyah Love; 5. Caleb Downs
Let's go down the line on Washington's players. Not that free-agent signing Leo Chenal or incumbent veteran Frankie Luvu preclude the Commanders from drafting Sonny Styles at linebacker, but those are two solid starters, and GM Adam Peters has spent two Day 3 picks at the position during his tenure.
Furthermore, Peters signed Nick Cross and Amik Robertson this offseason to start at safety and nickel respectively. Caleb Downs is at his best in the box or in the slot, not so much as a pure deep safety. It's a bit of an odd scheme/personnel fit despite Downs' versatility.
As for Ohio State wideout Carnell Tate, he's viewed as the consensus WR1 in this class. No guarantee he'll be on the board at No. 7. I also don't see Peters drafting cornerback like Mansoor Delane, considering he spent second-round picks at the position on Mike Sainristil and Trey Amos the past two years.
Jeremiyah Love is a generational running back prospect. Maybe that'd be worth the seventh pick. Maybe not. Jacory Croskey-Merritt looks like a hit at the position from last year's seventh round. Plus, Peters picked up Rachaad White and Jerome Ford on the open market to bolster Washington's backfield depth.
Let's stick with DraftKings to see how the odds stack up for all these prospective Commanders targets:
- Sonny Styles & Jeremiyah Love +250
- Carnell Tate +330
- Rueben Bain Jr. +550
- Mansoor Delane +650
- Caleb Downs +750
- Jordyn Tyson +1400
- Makai Lemon +2200
- Omar Cooper Jr. +2500
So clearly, the next position in line for Washington to target is wide receiver if Styles ain't the guy. Given how great Styles is, I'd be a little stunned if he's still on the board for the Commanders, never mind the Bengals.
Anyway, even if he is, Jayden Daniels could clearly use another weapon on the perimeter. Terry McLaurin is coming off an injury-riddled 2025 campaign and turns 31 in September.
Who else they got? Treylon Burks, Luke McCaffrey, Dyami Brown, and Van Jefferson. Woof. Send help!
Regarding the top wideouts in this draft, Jordyn Tyson has all kinds of medical red flags. The seventh pick is probably too rich for him, or at least should give the Commanders pause due to McLaurin's cloudy future.
Then there's Makai Lemon out of USC, who's not as speedy as Cooper, and while he's a little more technically sound as a route-runner, Cooper is a little better after the catch. I mean, the odds alone tell you they're closer as prospects than Cooper gets credit for.
Oh, and guess who Cooper's most oft-cited pro player comparison is, including on Lance Zierlein's NFL dot com profile? None other than Deebo Samuel.
What better way for Peters to redeem the whiff on acquiring Deebo last year than to draft the closest thing to him in 2026?
Bottom line for the Bengals is, if Cooper unexpectedly flies off the board at no. 7, that should push a premium defensive player or two one spot closer to them. The oddsmakers are low-key telling us that there's a rising chance that Cooper could be Washington's guy. Won't be long till we find out for sure.
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