Camp Darlings: The Five Under-The-Radar Eagles Who Could Stand Out

The reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles are scheduled to hit the practice field on Wednesday morning for the first time as preparation for Nick Sirianni’s preferred “sustained success” is unveiled.

Training camp is both necessary and a necessary evil as the foundational cornerstone for the 2025 iteration of the Eagles, and the time when the microscope at its highest power focused directly on the team in the form of open practices in front of reporters.

One of the light-hearted aspects of camp is the under-the-radar player getting hyped beyond all reasonable expectations, and it’s fun for me to try to figure out who that player is going to be.

So here’s my top five candidates for 2025 Mr. NovaCare:

5. - WR Elijah Cooks - Historically, the easiest way to make this list is to be a long, lengthy receiver who makes contested catches. For the 2o25 group, that’s Cooks.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder was injured and not participating during the spring but was watching each practice, so it didn’t seem to be anything too serious.

Cooks, 26, got his feet wet in Jacksonville during the 2023 and 2024 seasons before arriving on the Eagles’ practice squad in January. He finished his college career, which spanned from Nevada to San Jose State, with 69 receptions for 1,076 yards and 10 touchdowns, and has a 37 ½-inch vertical leap.

Cooks is low on the list because we have to see if he's healthy first, and then there still isn't going to be a ton of available reps. However, third-team opps mean going against third-team cornerbacks and Cooks is going be more advanced than the competition he’s going against.

4. - CB Mac McWilliams - The rookie fifth-round pick looked comfortable on the outside in spring work and had already been cross-training to the nickel by minicamp, an indication he was picking up things quickly.

In college, McWilliams was regarded as sticky in coverage without the best ball skills. The ball-security conscious Eagles don’t turn it over much in camp, so PBUs become a highlight, and McWilliams might be a compiler in that aspect.