Drafting Omar Cooper Would Likely Signal End Of A.J. Brown's Time With Eagles

Drafting Omar Cooper with the 23rd overall pick would signal the end of A.J. Brown’s tenure with the Eagles. Even though general manager Howie Roseman likes to draft for the long term, rather than the here and now, selecting a receiver that early means there is already a handshake deal in place to trade Brown on June 1 or one will be hammered out leading into the summer.

Cooper’s draft profile on NFL Media indicates that he will eventually be a plus starter. Analyst Lance Zierlein compared Cooper to Deebo Samuel. Every prospect has weaknesses and Cooper does, too, but he has enough strengths and positive traits that taking him might make Eagles fans feel a little better if Brown was traded.

Maybe it won’t. Brown is on a Hall of Fame trajectory. Cooper is the great unknown, no matter what scouts say.

The Eagles are interested enough in the Indiana University product to schedule him for a top 30 visit, and one of the Eagles’ top 30 visitors is usually drafted in the first round. The one exception in the last 10 years is Jihaad Campbell, who broke that trend last year. Despite not being a top-30 visit, the Eagles took him, anyway.

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The Eagles also chose Dallas Goedert in 2018 without a top-30 visit, but Goedert was a second-round pick, though he was the first player general manager Howie Roseman took that year after trading out of the first round.

Eagles Will Get Another Look At Omar Cooper At His Pro Day

Philly will also get another look at Cooper at Indiana's pro day on April 1, when he is expected to participate, along with fellow receiver and another NFL prospect, Elijah Sarratt, when IU teammate and quarterback Fernando Mendoza throws for scouts.

Already, a recenlty released mock draft from ESPN's Field Yates has the Eagles taking him at No. 23 with offensive lineman Gennings Dunker coming on the second round with the 54th overall pick.

Cooper, who ran a 4.42 40 at the NFL Scouting Combine last month, didn’t participate in all the drills at the Combine due to what he said was an “injury” against Ohio State in the playoffs. He also said he had not met with the Eagles in Indianapolis, though that may have changed after Cooper spoke for 15 minutes at the podium before the receivers did their testing.

He was asked what it would be like to play with Brown and DeVonta Smith and said, “I would be able to learn a lot. Those are two totally different guys, play different, and so being able to get the wisdom from them, and just the experience that they have, I feel like my game would be able to develop to another stage.

"And so being able to be behind AJ Brown or Devonta Smith, and just understand everything, learn the ins and outs of football, and how they do certain things, I feel like that would be amazing.”

Of course, Brown may not be here if Cooper is.