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Eagles' rookie UDFA among players whose stock has risen following preseason game vs Bengals

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Kelsey Kramer | Last updated Aug 8, 2025 12:53 PM ET

The Philadelphia Eagles opened their preseason with a solid 34-27 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night.

What made the victory even more impressive was that the Bengals played many of their starters, while the Eagles rested most of theirs.

Philly’s rookies and backups rose to the occasion, showing the depth the team has on both sides of the ball. While it’s still early in the preseason, the win gave coaches and fans a glimpse of who has what it takes for a spot on the 53-man roster.

That said, here are 5 Eagles players whose stock is on the rise after the win over Cincy.

QB Tanner McKee

The Eagles might have the best No. 2 quarterback in the NFL.

Tanner McKee looked legit, completing 20 of 25 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. He also successfully scored another touchdown while running the Eagles’ famous Tush Push play.

“He played pretty good,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said with a smirk and laugh when asked how he thought McKee played against Cincy. “He did a lot of good things. Went to the right place with the football …was accurate … had really good operation. Him and Kevin [Patullo] … a lot of communication. Yeah, he did a really nice job.”

Tanner McKee to Darius Cooper extends the @Eagles' lead

Stream CINvsPHI on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/haXcgMmm2d
— NFL (@NFL) August 8, 2025

WR Darius Cooper

If you haven't heard of wide receiver Darius Cooper, chances are you have now. The Eagles' rookie UDFA hauled in 6 of 7 passes for 82 yards and a score in the win.

“Those are some tough catches that he made today, particularly on some of those shallows,” Sirianni said after the game. “That fourth-down shallow was like a perfect ball by Tanner (McKee) with some traffic. I think they were in two-man and he just made a really nice catch there. He's continuing to get better, learning all the different spots that he needs to play. I think he's got an opportunity to do some good things. Obviously, you saw that out there today.”

.@Eagles @dcoop1211 Darius Cooper showed up; and, showed out last night. Strong hands...excellent releases with suddeness, and plenty of YAC. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/beVdqKjxq2
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) August 8, 2025

DT Ty Robinson

Rookie defensive tackle Ty Robinson proved he could get after the quarterback and sacked Bengals' backup QB Jake Browning in the second quarter. With the Eagles trading Thomas Booker IV away to the Las Vegas Raiders, it looks like they will be in good hands at defensive tackle moving forward if Robinson keeps it up.

.@Eagles Ty Robinson @HuskerFootball first game; first sack. Great stunt with the twister. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/ytanNpgcpq
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) August 8, 2025

WR Ainias Smith

Second-year wide receiver Ainias Smith showed off his speed on Thursday night.

He hauled in just two passes for 11 yards, but scored a touchdown with one of his catches. He also made an impression on special teams and returned a punt for 46 yards to set the Birds up for another touchdown late in the second half.

Ainias Smith has a receiving TD AND this punt return in the last minute of play

Stream CINvsPHI on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/g4iFHezUM9
— NFL (@NFL) August 8, 2025

WR Johnny Wilson

Speaking of, second-year wide receivers, Philly's 6-foot-6 Johnny Wilson showed off more than his blocking skills and hauled in three receptions on six targets for 73 yards, including one 28-yard catch.