The Philadelphia Eagles have made a habit of finding diamonds where the rest of the league just sees dust. They may have done it again with Darius Cooper, a wide receiver out of Tarleton State who didn’t hear his name called on draft weekend but is quickly making sure everyone knows it now.
Welcome to Philly
Cooper arrived in Philadelphia as an undrafted free agent, the kind of signing that barely earns a headline in the heat of the offseason. But if you look at his college numbers, the oversight seems almost absurd. At Tarleton State, Cooper racked up 3,185 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns, averaging a staggering 19.4 yards per catch. That’s not just production, that’s dominance, no matter the level of competition.
The Eagles clearly saw something in that résumé. It’s one thing to put up gaudy numbers, but it’s another to pair that with the tools that translate to the NFL. And early returns from training camp and the preseason suggest Cooper has both.
Pre-Season Week One
In the Eagles’ preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, Cooper looked like he belonged from the first snap. Targeted seven times, he hauled in six catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. It wasn’t just the stat line, it was how he did it. Smooth off the line, confident in traffic, and flashing strong hands that swallowed the football on every catch.
One of the players who knows wide receiver greatness when he sees it is DeVonta Smith, and he didn’t hold back his praise. “He’s a freak of nature,” Smith said. “He’s fun to watch.” That’s high praise from one of the most technically polished receivers in the game, and it speaks volumes about what Cooper is showing inside that building.
Film Room
What jumps off the tape, and to those watching him live, is Cooper’s release. He doesn’t waste movement, and he wins early in the route. That’s a rare trait for a rookie, especially one making the jump from a smaller program. Once he’s free, the rest is instinct and trust. He plays with a quiet confidence, attacking the ball in the air and finishing the catch without the nervousness you sometimes see in young players fighting for a roster spot.
The Eagles’ receiver room is loaded at the top, with A.J. Brown and Smith forming arguably the best duo in the league. But every year, depth matters. The players who emerge from the bottom half of the roster often swing games in December and January. Cooper is forcing his way into that conversation. He’s not just flashing, he’s stacking good days, showing that his production isn’t a fluke.
The 53-Man Roster
Making the 53-man roster is never guaranteed for an undrafted free agent. It’s earned, one practice and one rep at a time. So far, Cooper is doing exactly that. His blend of size, skill, and big-play ability is hard to ignore, and his preseason performance proved he can make plays when the lights are on.
The Eagles have a knack for finding undervalued talent and letting it grow in their system. Darius Cooper might just be the latest example. A player overlooked in April who could become a name every Eagles fan knows. If he keeps this up, Cooper’s next stop after making the roster will be finding his role in an offense already built to fly. It will be interesting to see if he beats out Ainias Smith for that last spot in the WR group.
After the trade for John Metchie III, Cooper may have a bit of an uphill battle ahead of himself. Even with the new obstacle in his way, I still wouldn’t count out the Eagles’ UDFA rookie.
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Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
