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A.J. Brown #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates a play against the Washington Commanders during the third quarter at Northwest Stadium on December 22, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
The 2026 NFL offseason has been a busy one thus far for Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles. While the team has made quite a few moves already, the rumors surrounding star wide receiver A.J. Brown continue to grow louder.
Entering the offseason, the Eagles were widely expected to trade Brown. Over the last couple of years, there have been many reports about unrest between the two sides. However, no trade has been made just yet.
Roseman is expecting a large haul in return for Brown. Teams have not been willing to pay the price yet this offseason.
Outside of working out a trade that would send Brown out of town, Philadelphia would also need to figure out how to replace him. Simply trading Brown without bringing in another playmaker or two for Jalen Hurts would be a mistake.
Marquise “Hollywood” Brown has already been signed by the Eagles this offseason. He would not be able to replace the star wideout. Adding an elite receiver in the 2026 NFL Draft along with the addition of Hollywood Brown could do the trick.
Philadelphia Eagles Linked to Elite A.J. Brown Replacement Option
Looking ahead at the 2026 draft, Philadelphia currently holds the No. 23 overall pick in the first round. There is one wide receiver the Eagles could target to be a potential Brown replacement.
Roseman and the front office should take a long look at Indiana Hoosiers standout Omar Cooper Jr.
Cooper was a huge part of leading Indiana to a National Championship win last season. He became a favorite target for likely No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.
Throughout the course of the 2025 college football season, Cooper caught 69 passes for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns. He totaled 115 receptions for 1,798 yards and 22 touchdowns throughout his three years with the Hoosiers.
Philadelphia would feel much better about its wide receiver room following a Brown trade if they were able to add Cooper alongside of DeVonta Smith and Hollywood Brown.
Omar Cooper Jr. Has Drawn an Interesting NFL Comparison
What kind of player do analysts believe that Cooper can become at the professional level? One extremely intriguing comparison has been made.
NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein believes that Deebo Samuel would be a reasonable comparison. He also provided an overview of what Cooper brings to the field.
“Big, strong target whose two-year rise is bolstered by translatable tape. While he was a full-time slot receiver in 2025, Cooper has played outside, as well. He can stem and drive past press with his strength. He has potent early acceleration to climb past nickelbacks into top position to challenge deep,” Zierlein wrote.
“His routes lack polish and he has average in-and-out quickness at break-points, but he’s rugged once the ball is in his hands. His ability to add yards after contact could earn Cooper more carries than we saw from him at Indiana. Fighting for catch space and blocking for the running game are areas where he needs improvement. Cooper is an ascending slot bully with Day 2 value.”
Despite the last sentence suggesting a “Day 2 value,” Cooper has been starting to pop up as a potential first-round pick. The Eagles could consider using the No. 23 pick on him if they plan to trade Brown.
Evan Massey Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst located in Indianapolis, Indiana who covers the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and college sports. He has been featured on many publications, including Newsweek, Athlon Sports, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Sporting News, and many others. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son. More about Evan Massey
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