AJ Brown left a handful of wide receivers with a major opportunity on the Philadelphia Eagles. Clearly, Darius Cooper isn’t going to pass up the chance to become a reliable target for the veteran quarterback, Jalen Hurts.
After Brown was sent packing to join the New England Patriots at his request, the Eagles knew they would shift DeVonta Smith to the No. 1 spot. Beyond that, the other slots were up for the taking.
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – AUGUST 7: Darius Cooper #41 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs with the ball as he stiff arms Tycen Anderson #26 of the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half of the NFL Preseason 2025 game at Lincoln Financial Field on August 7, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Cooper was widely seen as being on the roster bubble before the Eagles made it to training camp. At this point, he is working his way into becoming a roster lock, as local reporters gave Cooper the most “stock up” votes on PhillyVoice’s poll.
Eagles insider Jimmy Kempski went as far as stating that Cooper has gone from being on the bubble to playing his way into consideration for a starting job. That’s quite the rise.
The Rise Of Darius Cooper
GettyGREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – NOVEMBER 10: Darius Cooper #80 of the Philadelphia Eagles observes a moment prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on November 10, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Cooper didn’t come from a major school. After spending his high school football days in Missouri, the 24-year-old wide receiver attended Tarleton State in Texas.
Although Cooper was available to be drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft, he wasn’t selected. The Eagles recruited him, and brought him on as an undrafted free agent.
While going undrafted isn’t exactly the ideal situation for an incoming rookie, the Eagles have proved plenty of times that they will work with any prospect that shows clear potential out of the gate. Cooper is just becoming another example.
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – AUGUST 7: Darius Cooper #41 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs with the ball against Tycen Anderson #26 of the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half of the NFL Preseason 2025 game at Lincoln Financial Field on August 7, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Last year, Cooper starred in the preseason for the Eagles and even cracked the 53-man roster. He was sidelined with an injury early on, but would return to play a small role on the team.
Cooper made 13 appearances last season. He was targeted 11 times, catching nine passes for 92 yards.
Throughout the first couple of weeks of training camp, Cooper is one of the players mentioned the most for all of the right reasons. While the Eagles are clearly still all in on Smith, and also seeing a lot of promise out of Dontayvion Wicks, Cooper just might win himself a steady role as WR3 by the time Week 1 approaches.