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Eagles’ biggest bombshell surprise from 2026 NFL training camp
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Eagles’ biggest bombshell surprise from 2026 NFL training camp

Originally posted on NFL on ClutchPoints
By Matty Breisch, ClutchPoints  |  Last updated Aug 13, 2026 12:59 AM ET
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With the Philadelphia Eagles’ preseason debut against the Baltimore Ravens rapidly approaching, fans are keeping an eye on the depth chart to find Philly’s next great developmental success story.

But who could it be?

On defense, there are a few interesting options. After being drafted in the fourth round last year, Ty Robinson has turned some heads in camp, as has Jalyx Hunt, who might just break out and become a true OLB1 opposite Jonathan Greenard. There are also some interesting options at inside linebacker duking it out for playing time, from Jeremiah Trotter Jr., to Smael Mondon Jr. and even Chance Campbell. And ultimately, someone has to be named the team’s third safety, who will see plenty of playing time when Cooper DeJean kicks it into the slot in defensive subpackages.

And on offense? Well, there are even more intriguing storylines to follow, from how the rookies, Makai Lemon and Eli Stowers, look in their midnight green debuts to how the running back depth shakes out and who will ultimately fill out the depth chart on the offensive line.

Despite his size, Willie Lampkin has been one of the hottest names in camp. With Cam Jurgens still dealing with lingering injury issues, the 5-foot-11 interior lineman from UNC has been crosstraining at guard and center and looks darn good in the role, which shouldn’t surprise anyone who caught his games in Chapel Hill. The Eagles also have plenty of interesting options on the offensive line, with Lane Johnson already endorsing Markel Bell as his post-retirement pick to play right tackle, plus players Cam Williams, Myles Hinton, and Hollis Pierce all competing for depth spots as hybrid guard/tackles.

And yet, at the end of the day, the biggest bombshell surprise of training camp so far hasn’t been a viral video of Jalen Hurts throwing a pick, or Vic Fangio commenting on Quinyon Mitchell’s interception virginity, but instead the play of second-year UDFA Darius Cooper, who has rapidly gone from a long-shot to make the 53 man roster after Howie Roseman refilled the cupbord during the offseason to a potential Week 1 starter if he continues to shine in August.


Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Even Jalen Hurts has been impressed by Darius Cooper’s training camp

One issue with a deep reserve wide receiver having a breakout training camp is that they are rarely catching passes from a team’s QB1.

Fortunately, because Lemon and DeVonta Smith have missed time due to injuries, Cooper has been given multiple chances to show off what he can do catching passes from Jalen Hurts, and those opportunities have only grown as he continues to make plays with the ball in his hands.

Possessing a unique ability to hold onto 50-50 balls even through contact, an aspect of the offense some thought might be missing after AJ Brown was traded to the New England Patriots, Cooper has fast become a favorite target of Hurtrs over the past few weeks, with the Super Bowl MVP telling reporters on Wednesday that he thinks the second-year pro will only continue to get better as he progresses.

“I think he’s pretty good already. And I think he’s going to continue to grow. I can’t make you a promise and say that he’s going to be X, Y, Z. I just think he’s going to continue to develop into the player he’s shown he is,” Hurts said.

“And he has very strong hands. He’s always been really good at the deep ball from his time back in small college Texas ball. And he’s got a hunger, and he’s got a diligence about himself. You know, and I think that those are great competitive qualities, competitive traits that you can have.”

While some will point to Cooper’s lack of production in 2025 as a reason to pump the brakes on his ceiling in 2026, with the Tarleton State product catching just nine balls on 11 targets over 212 offensive snaps, ultimately, that number doesn’t matter. No, the number that really matters is 121, which is how many times AJ Brown was targeted in 2025. One way or another, the Eagles will need to replace that production and maybe even more if they are going to field a quality passing attack under first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion.

Darius Cooper has a chance to fly up the Eagles’ depth chart in 2026

Despite investing heavily in the wide receiver position over the past few months, the Eagles really only have one wide receiver who is locked into their role heading into Week 1: DeVonta Smith.

Now granted, Roseman didn’t trade up for Lemon or trade and extend Dontayvion Wicks to simply let them to waste away on the bench, with the duo expected to play serious roles on offense alongside fellow 2026 addition Hollywood Brown, but who will play when and where remains a mystery, as its unlikely Mannion will be giving too much away during the preseason or in practice sessions available to reporters.

So, if Smith is locked into, say, 120 targets this season, that still leaves 340 or so to be divied up between the rest of the team, assuming the Eagles attempt roughly the same number of passes this season as in 2025, or about 170 to receivers after tight ends and running backs get their cut.

In summation, there will be opportunities for Cooper to see the field in 2026, even if everyone is healthy in Week 1.

Because Smith can play all over the field, even if his best spots are off the line in the slot or as a flanker, the Eagles don’t need to be strict with who plays where. They can use a player like Brown out of the slot or out wide, where his speed could create field-flipping plays if opposing coordinators stack the box or produce open-field opportunities on sweeps and screens. They can play big with a tight end-sized receiver like Johnny Wilson in the slot – or a receiver-sized tight end like Stowers, for that matter – to optimize the run, or even experiment with running receivers out of the backfield from the fullback spot, something Green Bay did on occasion when Mannion was a member of their staff.

With as many as six receivers making the Week 1 roster – Smith, Wicks, Lemon, Brown, Wilson, and Cooper – the Eagles really do have the deepest collection of offensive pass catchers of the Hurts era. But because their offensive coordinator and much of their personnel is new, there really isn’t an established hierarchy that Cooper must break through in order to earn a role. Even if everyone is healthy, which isn’t a guarantee, if Cooper is making the most plays in August, the Eagles would be silly not to give him chances to keep doing so in September, as if their franchise quarterback trusts him, Mannion and Nick Sirianni should too.

This article first appeared on NFL on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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