The Philadelphia Eagles added another playmaker to their wide receiver room on Sunday, which caught fans off guard, given the talent and the other players competing for spots.
The Eagles acquired former second-round pick John Metchie III from the Houston Texans. Both teams swapped picks in the deal, while Philadelphia also sent veteran tight end Harrison Bryant to Houston.
With Metchie now in the fold, it means that the Eagles’ top-5 wide receiver spots are solidified, if you include second-year pass catcher Johnny Wilson Jr. Therefore, several guys are competing for one or maybe two spots on the 53-man roster if the Eagles decide to keep 7 WRs.
One of those wideouts in limbo right now is undrafted rookie Darius Cooper. Cooper caught fans' attention with his performance in the preseason, where he racked up a team-leading six receptions (seven targets) for 82 yards.
Eagles fans were excited to see what Cooper could do for an encore performance against the Cleveland Browns, but the team’s QB play left much to be desired. However, the rookie WR is making plays in practice with the starters, which is a good sign for his future with the team.
Trying to figure out how the WR mix will shape out? Darius Cooper, getting work with the first-team offense, just hauled in a pass downfield from Jalen Hurts.
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) August 18, 2025
Eagles have a crowd after the Metchie trade. But there’s a lot of excitement about Cooper this summer.
Eagles UDFA WR Darius Cooper Continuing to Make Waves at Practice
According to Zach Berman of The Athletic, Cooper was seen working with the Eagles’ first team offense at Monday’s practice and caught a downfield pass from Jalen Hurts. Berman adds that there’s a lot of excitement about the rookie wide receiver.
Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation also highlighted that Cooper was making plays with Tanner McKee. The former Tartleton State wideout had back-to-back catches on Kelee Ringo, who is looking to win the CB2 job opposite Quinyon Mitchell.
Darius Cooper with back to back catches against Kelee Ringo on throws from Tanner McKee. Cooper created a lot of separation on the second grab. #Eagles
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) August 18, 2025
It’s going to be interesting to see who the Eagles decide to keep after the third preseason game wraps up. Looking at the bottom of the wide receiver depth chart, Cooper and former fifth-round pick Ainias Smith are the front-runners to make the 53-man roster.
Meanwhile, Terrace Marshall Jr., who was one of the standouts during the offseason workouts, needs to have a third preseason game. If the Eagles keep Cooper and Smith, that means they won’t be able to keep more players at another position.
However, with what the rookie has done this summer, it's going to be hard to get him through waivers, as other teams likely know what he’s done.