This Eagles rookie is back from injury. Could he be a training camp sleeper?

PHILADELPHIA — DeVonta Smith, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean returning to practice grabbed everyone’s attention on Monday.

But there was another potential Eagles contributor — an under-the-radar rookie — that was back in action, too.

Eagles safety Cole Wisniewski made his training camp debut on Monday. The seventh-rounder missed the previous 11 practices and the preseason opener with a hamstring injury.

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Wisniewski, the former Texas Tech standout, was limited a bit in practice. But he still earned some first-team and second-team reps — a good, early sign for his future.

Now, Wisniewski still has plenty of work to do to make the 53-man roster by the end of camp.

Wisniewski will have to battle with Andre’ Sam, Maximus Pulley and J.T. Gray to be the fourth safety on the roster alongside Drew Mukuba, Marcus Epps and Michael Carter.

Plus, missing that much time can be detrimental for a young player, especially playing for Vic Fangio, a seasoned defensive coordinator who values practice reps.

Texas Tech safety Cole Wisniewski, left, knocks the ball away from Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (0) in the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)AP

But Wisniewski has pedigree. He spent five years at North Dakota State before transferring to Texas Tech. He was an FCS All-American and led the division with eight interceptions in 2023. Then, he missed the 2024 campaign with a foot injury before transferring to Texas Tech.

Wisniewski was a key cog in Texas Tech’s run to the College Football Playoff. On a defense with stars like David Bailey, Romello Height and Jacob Rodriguez, Wisniewski was a glue guy, starting 14 games and making 78 tackles.

There’s a reason why the Eagles drafted Wisniewski — and why general manager Howie Roseman compared him to Super Bowl champion and former starter Reed Blankenship.

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“Those are tough shoes to fill,” Roseman said. “But when you watch him, you saw some of the things you liked with Reed.”

With Wisniewski back in action, perhaps we’ll see more of what Roseman saw in him through the rest of camp.

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