After four years with Hurricanes, Anez Cooper picked in sixth round of NFL draft
Anez Cooper was one of Mario Cristobal’s first signees with the Miami Hurricanes. The offensive lineman proved his worth for four years, helping bring the program back to national relevance and back into a title contender.
Now, he is getting his chance in the NFL.
The New York Jets drafted Cooper in the sixth round with the No. 188 overall pick on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday.
Cooper, listed at 6-6 and 334 pounds, played in 52 career games for Miami, including starting all 42 of the Hurricanes’ games over the past three years at right guard. He was named second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference as a senior while helping pave the way for Miami to reach the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
“When I first came in, I didn’t really expect that I was going to end up starting,” Cooper said before the season, reflecting on his evolution with the Hurricanes. “I just felt like if I was going to have to play and start, it was about me having to grow up fast. I felt like I just had to open up to everybody and just let everybody see the person I was instead of keeping everything in.”
The boisterous, fierce Cooper also became one of the vocal leaders in the Hurricanes’ locker room the past two seasons.
“He’s always been a really good player, physical player,” offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said. “He’s really an outspoken guy in our room, and I appreciate the leadership position that he has niched out for himself and I do think that he’s going to have that for a long time. He is the guy that when he talks everybody listens and he’s earned that role because of the way he’s played the game as long as he’s played the game. I appreciate his voice.”
He’s the third Hurricanes offensive lineman selected in the draft this year, following Francis Mauigoa in the first round and Markel Bell in the third round.
What they’re saying
-NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein describes Cooper as a “big and proportional guard.”
“He loses effectiveness when blocking in space, but he plays with good body control and understands how to use his size to neutralize in-line opponents. He has heavy hands and punches quickly into extension in pass pro to subdue rush momentum, making him difficult to circumnavigate. He struggles staying mirrored to athletic rushers with quality setups, though. His issues identifying and responding to rush games are cause for concern. Cooper’s limitations require occasional help, but he has starter upside in the right scheme fit.”
-The Athletic’s Dane Brugler lists Cooper as his No. 183 overall draft prospect and No. 14 guard, noting that he “can be plodding, but makes up for it with size, length and power.”
“Cooper looks the part with his frame, body mass and overall length, and he holds his own when things turn into a street fight. He is a physical finisher — and a hard man to move — when he latches. However, he relies more on force than leverage to execute blocks, and he lacks the ideal agility and twitch to match up with NFL speed.”
-CBS Sports had Cooper as its No. 258 draft prospect and No. 30 interior offensive lineman
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