Dominant Dozen: Eagles’ All-Pro WR Lands At No. 8

With the Eagles morphing into a run-first team, star receiver A.J. Brown had to step back at times but was special when given opportunities.

Eagle receiver A.J. Brown gestures during the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl celebration in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. | William Bretzger-Delaware News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA - There is give and take with anything in life.

For the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles to feed into their historic running game last season, they had to take away from the passing game at times, and that explains star receiver A.J. Brown’s “low” placing on Philadelphia Eagles On SI’s “Dominant Dozen.”

The three-time All-Pro and team captain is still regarded as perhaps the best pure football player on the Eagles in the locker room and finished No. 8 on the list with nine points, winning a tiebreaker over middle linebacker Nakobe Dean, who finished No. 9. 

On SI’s Eagles beat reporters Ed Kracz and John McMullen compiled independent lists of the 12 most impactful Eagles players during the Super Bowl LIX-winning season, with No. 1 being awarded 12 points, down to the 12th man earning one point.

Receiver DeVonta Smith kicked off the countdown at No. 12, collecting three points, and Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens came in at No. 11 with four points. No. 10 was second-team All-Pro left tackle Jordan Mailata.

Brown finished No. 8 on Kracz’s list and No. 7 on McMullen’s tally, and the latter high-water mark was greater than Dean’s top placing, giving the soon-to-be seventh-year pro the leg up.

A.J. Brown gets ready to run a drlll during the Philadelphia Eagles mandatory minicamp in early June. | By Ed Kracz

Despite missing four games with a troublesome knee, Brown finished with his third consecutive 1,000-yard season (67 receptions for 1,079 yards and 7 touchdowns)  for the Eagles and his fifth in six seasons overall. 

Moreover, the Eagles finished 16-1 when Brown was on the field in 2025, with the only loss coming in Week 11 at Washington when quarterback Jalen Hurts suffered a concussion less than six minutes into the first quarter and Philadelphia lost the lead with six seconds left in the game. 

Brown again led the Eagles with his 1,079 receiving yards, joining franchise legend Mike Quick (1983-85) as the only players in team history with three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons.

The superstar also added 12 receptions for 163 yards in the postseason with touchdown receptions in both the NFC Championship Game against the Commanders and the Super Bowl win over Kansas City.

Despite only three seasons in Philadlephia, Brown is already 20th on the franchise’s all-time receptions list, and No. 13 in receiving yards. 

Since entering the league with Tennessee in 2019, Brown is fourth in the NFL in receiving yards (7,026) behind only Tyreek Hill (7,843), Davante Adams (7,647), and Justin Jefferson (7,432).

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