A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith watched from the sideline during the Eagles’ preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. Meanwhile, the rest of the wide receivers went to work, trying to secure their place or emerge as a contender for a spot on the 53-man roster.
The Birds are thin at receiver behind Brown and Smith. Jahan Dotson, who is turning heads in camp entering his second season with the franchise, is the only other roster lock.
When NJ.com’s Cayden Steele projected the 53-man roster before the preseason win over the Bengals, he had six receivers making the cut: Brown, Smith, Dotson, Elijah Cooks, Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith.
But did that change after Thursday night?
Let’s take a closer look at the updated state of the Eagles’ wide receiver room ahead of next week’s joint practices and preseason game against the Cleveland Browns.
STOCK UP
Johnny Wilson
Nick Sirianni talked up Wilson quite a bit earlier this week despite a quiet camp so far. Sirianni emphasized that Wilson’s 6-foot-6 frame is an asset — and he showed why on Thursday.
Wilson, 2024 sixth-round pick out of Florida State, had three receptions for 73 yards. Two of those catches were true 50-50 balls. Wilson went up over Bengals corner Josh Newton for a gain of 27 yards and later snagged a 28-yarder over Cincinnati’s Jalen Davis. Both cornerbacks are listed at under six feet. Neither were much of a match for Wilson.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to make plays like that,” said Wilson, who was used primarily as a blocker when playing with the first-team offense last year. “It felt good.”
Darius Cooper
No one other than maybe quarterback Tanner McKee had a better preseason opener than Cooper. The undrafted rookie out of Tarleton State introduced himself to Eagles fans in a big way with six catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. Cooper knows how to produce; he led the FCS with 1,450 receiving yards last year. But doing it against NFL competition — after already impressing in camp — elevates Cooper and his prospects of making the team.
Cooper will have to continue to shine in order to snag a roster spot. But big performances like Thursday night, coupled with little daily wins in camp, should serve him well.
“He’s great at running through the ball when he makes his catches. He doesn’t jump when he doesn’t need to. And he’s really good after the catch, too,” Eagles cornerback Eli Ricks said. “That’s a part of his game that we’ll get to see even more of over these next two weeks.”
Ainias Smith
Smith found the end zone on a six-yard connection with McKee. But the biggest reason why the burner from Texas A&M might make the roster showed up on special teams. The 2024 fifth-round pick had an electrifying 46-yard punt return against the Bengals, evading would-be tacklers, showcasing his speed and nearly taking it to the house.
Everyone knows that special teams is a path to a roster spot. That could be true for Smith.
STOCK DOWN
Elijah Cooks
Cooks was arguably the Eagles’ best backup receiver in camp up until Thursday. The undrafted receiver out of San Jose State who spent last season on the practice squad was hoping to carry that success over into the preseason opener. That didn’t happen.
Cooks injured what looked to be his shoulder on kick return coverage in the second quarter. He went into the medical tent and later looked emotional as he was carted to the locker room.
The extent of Cooks’ injury is to be determined, and if it’s not a long-term injury, there’s still time to make up any lost ground. But it’s an unfortunate blow for the roster hopeful.
Terrace Marshall Jr.
Speaking of injured receivers, Marshall did not play on Thursday. He returned to practice on Tuesday in a limited capacity after missing four practices with a knee injury.
Marshall is looking for a career revival in Philly. The 2021 second-round pick was one of Joe Burrow’s top receivers at LSU along with JaMarr Chase and Justin Jefferson. But that college success hasn’t translated after flaming out with the Carolina Panthers and failing to catch on in stint with the San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders.
Marshall impressed on the first day of training camp. But since then, he’s been quiet — putting his chances of making the roster in serious doubt.
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