It's a long wait until training camp for the Philadelphia Eagles, but OTAs gave them plenty of reasons to be excited for the 2026 season.
The wide receiver position is deeper than it ever has been despite the fact that A.J. Brown was traded away. Bleeding Green Nation Eagles reporter Brandon Lee Gowton shared some of the big winners from OTAs, naming wide receiver Johnny Wilson as one of them.
"Wilson had a roller-coaster of a summer last year. He mightily struggled early in camp before managing to turn it around … only to suffer a season-ending injury in August. Wilson appears to be fully healthy and he made a number of grabs in the middle of the field during spring practices. Good to see him able to get open and not just rely on jump catch ability. Barring injury, Wilson likely won’t see many targets in the regular season. He’ll be more of a dirty work role guy as a blocker and special teams contributor. But he could be a role player and good depth piece on offense."
Johnny Wilson might go from cut candidate to 53-man roster lock for Eagles
Wilson's career has not always been smooth in his first two seasons. 2024 was filled with drops and disappointment as he caught just five of his 15 targets for 38 yards and one touchdown.
Last season seemed so promising as Wilson was finally able to gain some momentum and looked like a guy who could have been on the 53-man roster. It's too bad his injury occurred, which ended any hope of playing in 2025.
This year, Wilson faces even more obstacles as the Eagles are loaded at receiver. DeVonta Smith, rookie Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks, and Hollywood Brown feel like locks. That leaves Wilson to compete with Elijah Moore and Darius Cooper for the final one or two wide receiver spots.
Cooper has a good chance of being Wilson's biggest competition after being the training camp darling of 2025. Moore feels like he should be able to compete at wide receiver, but his lack of work on special teams actually gives Cooper and Wilson more of an advantage.
That special teams aspect is what it all comes down to, as Cooper and Wilson have proven to be good gunners on kickoff when called upon. At the same time, it might also come down to whether the Eagles prefer to have at wide receiver.
Standing at 6-foot-6, Wilson is truly a goal-line weapon for the Eagles that shouldn't go ignored, as he can use his height to beat any defensive back. While Cooper has great hands, that height from Wilson might come in handy on the outside, as Cooper is more of a slot receiver.
Read more: 4 Eagles players fans want to see more out of in 2026 season
It will be one of the more fascinating battles at training camp in terms of who can win those final spots at receiver. Wilson is showing that he is back from the 2025 injury and could be a dark horse to make the final roster.
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