RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Jalen Hurts is a believer in Eagles ex-undrafted wide receiver originally appeared on The Sporting News .
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When the 2025 NFL Draft was underway, Darius Cooper waited and waited to hear his name be called to fulfill his dreams of putting on the pads at the highest level. But the first part of that wouldn't happen, as after the seven rounds were wrapped up, his name had never been called.
This came after a five-season stint at Tarleton State, a school in the United Athletic Conference, where he'd record over 3185 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns during his time in the purple and white. While 31 other teams wouldn't take note of this and pick up their phones to recruit Cooper, the same couldn't be said for the Philadelphia Eagles , who took a shot on him in free agency.
The Eagles' gamble on the 24-year-old would show some serious potential in the preseason, as Cooper recorded six receptions for 82 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals . While he'd cool down from that output in his rookie season, he still managed to come in big for the Eagles throughout his 13 regular-season appearances, recording six first downs and 92 yards.
However, it appears that Cooper's dedication and hunger has been spotted by Jalen Hurts.
Hurts speaks on Cooper's potential ability
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was asked how good can receiver Darius Cooper be. (via: @MrUram ) pic.twitter.com/qKDqCWUDzL
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) August 11, 2026 The Eagles quarterback feels that his teammate is already at a good level, but can put it in another gear given his tenacity and intangibles on the field.
"I think he's pretty good already, I think he's going to continue to grow, I can make you a promise and say that he's going to be XYZ, I just think he's going to continue to develop into the player that he's shown he is," stated Hurts. "He has very strong hands, he's always been really good at the deep ball from his time back in small college Texas ball, he's got a hunger and got a diligence about himself that I think those are great competitive qualities, competitive traits that you can have.
Cooper has the potential to play a bit of a bigger role in the upcoming season, given the removal of A.J. Brown from the system, but will still have to share playing time with DeVonta Smith, Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks, and Hollywood Brown.
The 24-year-old could be someone to look out for when the Eagles get their preseason underway with a match against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night, with kick-off slated for 7:00 p.m. EST.
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