Eagles Could Go Hunting For Next A.J. Brown In Draft With Report Of Top 30 Visit

It certainly seems as if the Eagles are motivated to move A.J. Brown in a trade, with all the work Howie Roseman is doing on how he can best do it with the restraints of a salary cap that are debilitating if the receiver is dealt prior to June 1.

The draft collateral, possibly a first and second round picks, that the GM could potentially receive on the first of June would be in the 2027 draft. Maybe even one of the picks comes in the 2028 draft, reminiscent of when Roseman traded Hason Reddick in 2024, taking a conditional third round pick from the Jets two years down the road in 2026. In other words, the Eagles own New York’s third-round pick this spring for a player who will probably be on his third team this fall since being traded two years ago.

That doesn’t mean that if Brown is dealt for future picks, Roseman won’t try to find his replacement in this year’s draft, and maybe a receiver from the Racing Capital of the World will become the Eagles’ next racehorse to replace Brown.

That would be Omar Cooper, a national champion at Indiana University, whose hometown is Indianapolis, home of the world-famous Indy 500. There was an interesting development surrounding Cooper on Tuesday, when it was reported that he will be one of the top-30 visitors the Eagles host this spring.

It’s the first report of a player in that 30 group, and perhaps it was even Roseman who wanted that information out there, so he leaked it. The Eagles have selected players from the 30 visits in the past.

Cooper DeJean Was Also A Top-30 Visit In Pre-Draft Process

Previous top 30s the Eagles drafted include Cooper DeJean, Jalyx Hunt, Ainias Smith, and Johnny Wilson from 2024; Jordan Davis in 2022; and, in 2023, Nolan Smith and Kelee Ringo.

To get Cooper, the Eagles would likely have to take him with their 23rd overall pick or even trade down to later in the first round or early second round and hope he would still be there.

The Scouting Combine numbers between Brown and Cooper are similar, except for weight, where Brown tipped the scales at 226, and Cooper at 199. Brown was a shade over 6-feet, Cooper is 6-feet. Cooper ran a faster 40 at 4.42 to Brown’s 4.49, but he is lighter. Their 10-yard splits were close to even – with Cooper at 1.55, Brown at 1.56 – as were their vertical jumps - Cooper went 37 inches to Brown’s 36.5.

Cooper, who has over 1,500 yards receiving with 20 touchdowns in final season with the Hoosiers, is ranked No. 18 on the top 50 prospect list of Daniel Jeremiah, the NFL’s lead draft analyst. He wrote that Cooper is one of his favorite players to study in this year’s draft.

“He’s strong, reliable and explosive,” Jeremiah wrote. “He uses his lower-body strength to run through press coverage and he’s a loose/fluid route runner. He plays without fear in the middle of the field, making combat catches look easy.

“He can really pluck the ball and stays grounded through the catch on crossers. Also, he can elevate and play above the rim (see: game-winner against Penn State) when necessary. After the catch, he has the power to break tackles and enough speed to pull away. Sources at the school rave about his makeup and competitiveness. Overall, Cooper fits the exact model of wideouts finding immediate success in the NFL.”

Not that Jeremiah’s evaluations are always correct. In the 2019 draft, the year Brown entered the league, Jeremiah ranked Brown No. 36, with Marques Brown at 16 and D.K. Metcalf at 19. N’Keal Harry and Riley Ridley were right behind Brown. Still, Cooper could be one to watch when the draft begins on April 23.