The Philadelphia Eagles' wide receiver position is in such an interesting spot in training camp at the moment.
DeVonta Smith and rookie Makai Lemon continue to miss time with lower-body injuries, with no timetable for their returns. It has opened the door for other receivers to step up and get some playing time.
Dontayvion Wicks is starting to look like the clear-cut WR2 on the Eagles, but the rest of the spots are up for grabs. Lemon may not even start anymore, leaving Marquise "Hollywood" Brown as the next logical choice to be WR3, right? Not so fast, my friends!
Darius Cooper is ready to overtake Hollywood Brown for Eagles WR3 in 2026
Cooper is quickly becoming the star of training camp for the Eagles, as he once again had an incredible practice with the team. NBC Sports Philadelphia Eagles reporter Dave Zangaro detailed the kind of day Cooper had.
"Darius Cooper was incredible on Monday. He made a ton of catches all over the field with the first team and with the second team. He caught the ball when he was wide open and he caught the ball when he was contested. It’s not hyperbole if some think Cooper has been the best and most consistent Eagles receiver of training camp. There were plenty of great plays from Cooper on Monday but my personal favorite was a back shoulder catch on a ball from Jalen Hurts with Michael Carter II in coverage."Â
It's becoming a daily occurrence now with Cooper shining bright for the Eagles at camp. He was almost the same way last year as the team's 2025 training camp darling, but this year has shown drastic improvement.
Last year, Cooper was not much of a factor on offense with nine receptions for 92 yards. He played more on special teams but was easily a fan favorite among Eagles fans.
What is helping Cooper is that some are comparing him to the kind of receiver A.J. Brown is. Cooper has the height and shows strong hands, so that with any pass thrown his way, he will make the grab.
At times when Cooper was out there for the Eagles on offense in 2025, he would play in the slot, so don't let the size fool fans, as he can still be the next starter there in place of Lemon. Most thought Hollywood Brown would take that spot over, but Cooper might be the better choice.
Brown has had a decent training camp, but he is still trying to build chemistry with quarterback Jalen Hurts. There have been some incidents where Hurts has overthrown Brown, probably because he is not used to working with him.
Hurts has way more chemistry with Cooper, and it shows on the field. Even last year, when most rookies were in a developmental period, Cooper was catching passes from Hurts.
Read more: Eagles' updated 53-man roster projection says goodbye to former starter
Eagles fans are ready for a Cooper breakout 2026 season, but Brown might be the odd man out and could land a spot on the bench. When Cooper is playing as well as he has, it's hard to argue against putting him in the lineup right now.
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