The Philadelphia Eagles made quite a few changes to their offense over the offseason after enduring a disappointing year on that side of the ball in 2026. The position that has seen the most turnover of all, though, is the wide receiver room, as the front office took swings on several different players in an effort to replace A.J. Brown, who was traded to the New England Patriots.
DeVonta Smith is obviously going to be Jalen Hurts‘ new No. 1 wide receiver, but behind him, pretty much every spot on the depth chart is up for grabs. One guy who isn’t exactly the first name on the depth chart behind Smith is second-year pass catcher Darius Cooper, but based on Hurts’ latest comments about him, it sounds like he may be a player to watch in 2026.
Jalen Hurts Shouts Out Darius Cooper
The Eagles left no stone unturned when it came to trying to replace Brown this offseason. The team used the No. 20 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Makai Lemon, signed Marquise Brown and Elijah Moore in free agency, and picked up Dontayvion Wicks in a trade with the Green Bay Packers.
With all these new faces, Cooper has understandably flown under the radar. An undrafted free agent from the 2025 draft, Cooper suited up for 13 games as a rookie, but he only caught nine passes for 92 yards during his limited time on the field. And yet, his connection with Hurts has been hard to miss early on in training camp.
Sure, there are other guys with more experience than Cooper, but his previously established working relationship with Hurts gives him a leg up on the competition. To that point, when asked if there was a wide receiver who has stood out to him so far at camp, Hurts wasted no time giving Cooper his due praise.
“I think Darius Cooper has done a really good job,” Hurts said on “Inside Training Camp.” “He’s always been a big body, physical, strong hands guy, but just to see how he’s transitioned going into year two, I’m definitely excited for him.”
Darius Cooper Making a Push for a Bigger Role with the Eagles in 2026
Emilee Chinn/GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – SEPTEMBER 04: Darius Cooper #80 of the Philadelphia Eagles kneels before the NFL 2025 game between Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on September 04, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Philadelphia needs someone who can operate as a big-bodied outside receiver to replace Brown, and Cooper could conceivably be that guy. He still likely has a lot of ground to cover in his quest to earn a real role in the offense, but the stronger his connection with Hurts gets, the better his odds are of getting more snaps on the field.
The Eagles are going to have their work cut out for them when it comes to sifting through their wide receiver room and attempting to figure out who will land where by the time Week 1 rolls around. Cooper may not be the name fans are paying the most attention to, but Hurts makes it obvious that he is a guy worth keeping tabs on as camp unfolds.
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