Elijah Out Of Nowhere: Rangy Eagles' WR Is Making Some Noise

When it comes to NFL training camps, nothing excites fans or even media members more than a big receiver making contested catches.

After a lost spring due to an undisclosed injury, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Elijah Cooks has found his groove in Eagles’ camp with a host of acrobatic catches over the past few practice sessions, including Tuesday’s 90-plus degree scorcher when the San Jose State product rose at the back line of the end zone to snatch a Tanner McKee pass out of the air at its highest point for a touchdown in a situational red-zone dill. 

Cooks, 26, first signed with the Eagles' practice squad during the team’s postseason run to a Super Bowl LIX championship last season and was re-signed to a futures deal in February.

The numbers game remains against Cooks, originally an undrafted free agent by Jacksonville after the 2023 draft, who played 11 games with the Jaguars over two seasons. 

That said, if Cooks keeps producing, he’s going to earn more opportunities, and injuries are already helping create some added reps with McKee. 

Star receiver DeVonta Smith has missed two practices with back tightness, and free-agent pickup Terrace Marshall went down with an apparent leg injury at practice on Tuesday.

McKee, meanwhile, has found a comfort zone with Cooks in practice for good reason.

"It's nice when a guy his size knows how to use his body and has great hands,” the QB2 said after practice on Tuesday. 

Cooks was a high-volume WR at Nevada before injuries derailed his final two seasons there. He finished at SJSU as a grad transfer by earning All-Mountain West First-Team honors in 2022 after snaring 69 receptions for 1,076 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The injury and a 4.51 40-yard dash time likely scared some teams off. As McKee noted, though, not all big receivers play big, and Cooks has proven he can do exactly that

“I think Elijah is having a great camp so far,” said McKee. “Really excited to throw with him in the preseason and see what he can do in a game. 

“He's making great connections and is a great receiver."