As the 2026 NFL Draft nears, the Dallas Cowboys are currently equipped with two first-round picks — No. 12 and No. 20 — and while it’s possible they could package those picks to trade up, Dallas could also stay put and select two promising prospects.

Of course, the Cowboys will likely go defense with their first selection, but they could go in several different directions with the 20th-overall pick.

In FanSided’s 2026 Big Board, draft analyst Mike Luciano ranked wide receiver Omar Cooper as the 20th-overall prospect in the class. While players don’t come off the board in the order of their overall ranking, Cooper, who was a 30 visit with Dallas, is actually an intriguing option for the Cowboys at 20.

In addition to what he could add to Dallas’ already productive offense, selecting him would upset the hated Philadelphia Eagles.

Philadelphia has found itself in the middle of some loud offseason discussions, with one of the biggest topics being whether or not AJ Brown will be on the team’s roster when the season starts. While Brown’s future is unclear, the Eagles are believed to be interested in receiver prospects, regardless of Brown’s roster status.

One of the wideouts who have emerged as a likely option for Philadelphia is Omar Cooper. The Indiana receiver significantly improved his draft stock during the 2025 season, helping Indiana win a National Championship, and Eagles fans would love to add Cooper as they try to get back into championship conversations.

The problem with that plan in Philly is that the Eagles aren’t set to be on the clock until the No. 23 overall pick. The Cowboys will have two picks before that point, including one three spots before Philadelphia. They could accomplish a two-for-one at 20, strengthening an already strong offense and breaking the heart of a rival.

The only way the Eagles could prevent that is by trading up in front of Dallas, and even that hurts Philadelphia, because it will have to give something up.

Of course, the Eagles won’t be on Dallas’ mind come draft night; the Cowboys will be focused on building a roster that can win a Super Bowl. However, it won’t hurt if that can be accomplished while the team also ruins the Eagles’ night.

This scenario isn’t just smart draft-day value — it’s rivalry murder in its purest form. By staying at No. 20 and calling Omar Cooper’s name, the Cowboys wouldn’t merely be adding a talented wide receiver who dominated alongside a national championship team at Indiana. They would be delivering a dagger straight to the heart of every Eagles fan who has spent the offseason dreaming of Cooper sliding into Philly’s receiver room.

That’s not a WR for Philly. That’s a Cowboy legend in the making.

The numbers line up perfectly for Dallas to pull the trigger. With the Eagles sitting three picks back at No. 23, Cooper would be there for the taking — unless Philadelphia burns valuable assets to leapfrog Dallas. Even then, the cost of trading up would leave the Eagles thinner elsewhere, handing Dallas yet another long-term advantage in the NFC East trenches.

Cooper’s profile fits the Cowboys’ offensive identity like a glove: a big-play threat who elevated his game when the lights were brightest in 2025. Pairing him with an already productive Dallas attack would create headaches for defenses across the league. But the real beauty of the pick lies in the collateral damage it inflicts on the rival 90 miles up the turnpike.

For Eagles fans, the nightmare is real. They’ve watched AJ Brown’s future become a daily debate. They’ve circled Cooper as the perfect insurance policy or complement. And then, in one announcement from the Dallas war room, those hopes evaporate three spots before their own selection.

That’s not just a draft pick. That’s psychological warfare wrapped in a green-and-white helmet.

Come draft night, the Cowboys won’t be thinking about the Eagles. They’ll be thinking about building a Super Bowl contender. But if that contender also happens to leave Philadelphia fans staring at their phones in stunned silence, well… that’s just the beautiful brutality of the NFC East.

Rivalry murder, executed at No. 20.

Welcome to the Cowboys, Omar Cooper. Eagles fans will never forget the night Dallas stole their guy — and their joy — in the same breath.