Eagles bringing in former 1st-round WR John Ross for tryout; report

When the Eagles hold their rookie camp next week, they’ll actually have a couple of first-round picks in attendance: This year’s pick Quinyon Mitchell and John Ross III, the Bengals’ first-round pick from 2017.

The Eagles are bringing in the 28-year-old Ross on a tryout at rookie camp, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported on Sunday.

Before last season, Ross officially retired but according to Garafolo, the speedy wide receiver is contemplating a comeback and Eagles rookie camp is his first step in that direction. Eagles coaches will be able to get a closer look at Ross to see if they think he might be able to help.

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The Bengals took Ross out of Washington with the No. 9 overall pick back in 2017 after Ross ran a blazing 4.22 at the 40-yard dash at the 2017 NFL Combine. That was the 40 record until this year, when Texas receiver Xavier Worthy posted a 4.21.

While Ross (5-11, 194) had elite speed, his NFL career was mostly a disappointment. In four years with the Bengals, Ross caught 51 passes for 733 yards and 10 touchdowns. His last NFL game action came in 2021 with the Giants. In 10 games that year, he had 11 catches for 224 yards and 1 touchdown.

So even if Ross is able to show the Eagles something at rookie camp next weekend, they’d still have to sign him and he’d still be a longshot to actually contribute in 2024. But the Eagles are always looking for creative ways to add unique traits and Ross, even at 28, likely still has elite speed.

The Eagles are very strong at receiver with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith at the top of the pecking order. Both are stars who received long-term extensions this offseason. But after that there are questions. The Eagles signed veterans DeVante Parker and Parris Campbell this offseason and then drafted two receivers — Ainias Smith and Johnny Wilson — on Day 3.