Eagles Under-Radar Receivers Draw Praise From WR Coach Aaron Moorehead

One is 6-7, the other 5-8, but both keep showing up, making plays, and getting occasional first-team reps.

Johnny Wilson talks to reporters after Eagles training camp practice on Aug. 4, 2024. / Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

PHILADELPHIA – The 6-7 Johnny Wilson keeps popping up with the first team during training camp and the 5-8 Britain Covey keeps getting open and making plays. Talk about the long and the short if it.

Covey made a nifty sliding catch of a low throw from Jalen Hurts on during Sunday morning’s practice with Quinyon Mitchell following closely behind. It was nifty for many reasons: he created separation, he held on to it, and he didn’t get a single grass stain on his white workout tights.

“He’s doing a great job,” said receiver coach Aaron Moorehead following the nearly one hour, 40-minute session about Covey. “He just continually got better. There are things you challenge him with that with a guy that’s his size that you need to overcome being in this league, and he’s worked on those things, and he’s got a good rapport with Jalen being here for a third year.

“He’s turning into a guy we can trust just to do things that other guys have done in the past and now it’s going to be his turn to step up and have a chance to make some plays for us.”

Britain Covey gets ready to make a catch as Philadelphia Eagles teammates, from left to right, Johnny Wilson, Parris Campbell, A.J. Brown, and Joseph Ngata, look on during the final day of mandatory minicamp on June 6, 2024. / By Ed Kracz

Well, that’s a pretty glowing statement for the punt returner tying to wedge third receiver onto his now three-year NFL resume.

Then there’s Wilson. His progress from spring and with each passing day of training camp has been visible to all who watch, including, obviously his position coach.

“Just his knowledge of the offense, so now he’s not swimming when he’s out there,” said Moorehead when asked what the biggest steps the rookie sixth-round pick from Florida State has taken.

The assistant coach said the one thing the team liked about him coming into the draft, other than his size and his catch radius was his ability to bend.

“He’s not a stiff guy,” said Moorehead.

Wilson said he works on that bend-ability daily.

“It started in high school,” he said. “When I got into high school, I was lanky, long, stiff, I just wanted to be the anomaly. I wanted to be different. I wanted to do things other people couldn’t do. It took a lot of work and I still work on it every day.”

He works on it by warming up, getting his knees, hips, and ankles properly stretched so he can more readily drop his weight in and out of his routes.

Wilson is showing up with the first team more often because, as Moorehead said: "Every young player has to go in with the ones at some point. You have to be in the huddle with Jalen, DeVonta (Smith), A.J. (Brown), and Lane (Johnson).

"You have to have it. You see it and you get over it. Sometimes it takes a couple practices to go, 'All right, whatever. They’re in here just like I am' and you gotta go play ball."

Added Wilson: "I definitely feel I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with the offense and just the timing and pace of things. Definitely in the beginning it was like, ‘Holy crap, everything is moving so fast.’

"Having guys like Jalen, AJ, DeVonta, Parris, other dudes in the room telling me I got this, you can do this, always helping. It’s made the transition a lot easier."

Having Moorehead, who is a lanky 6-3, has helped since he has more in common with Wilson that Covey.

“There are things that happen (with Wilson) where you’re, ‘Ah, I’ve done that, don’t do this,’” said Moorehead, who played five seasons in the NFL. “Or ‘Hey, this is a great way you did this or let’s correct this and do that.’

“I’d say a guy like Covey, I’ve never had to be in that position before in my life. So, I have to work harder to coach Covey than I do a guy like Johnny. It probably comes a little more natural just seeing the things I need to see (from Johnny).  He’s doing a good job so far.”

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