Eagles 2025 Draft Preview: The Wide Receivers

PHILADELPHIA - The Eagles’ offense is a tour de force when it comes to playmakers, and that extends to the wide receiver position even though Philadelphia is not a prolific passing team.

A.J. Brown is now three-for-three when it comes to second-team All-Pro berths in his three seasons with the Eagles, and his running mate DeVonta Smith can make a credible case for being the best WR2 in the NFL.

Jahan Dotson, the 16th overall pick in the 2022 draft, was acquired from Washington in August of last year and didn’t get a lot of volume in the offense but is the best WR3 the Eagles have had in the Nick Sirianni era and a player more than capable of producing when the football comes his way.

GM Howie Roseman also attempted to plug up some depth issues by signing 2021 second-round pick Terrace Marshall Jr. to a one-year deal earlier this week.

On paper, Marshall has the size (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) and speed (4.40 coming out of LSU) to serve as a more credible backup outside the numbers.

It should also at least be discussed that the Eagles, who are looking to save every dollar for a host of incoming extensions for star players, could consider dealing Dotson and saving a little bit of money with Marshall.

Two Day 3 draft picks from last year will be asked to take a second-year leap in the depth category. King-sized sixth-rounder Johnny Wilson had a better rookie season than fifth-rounder Ainias Smith, mainly because Wilson could help a run-first offense as blocker.

Smith is a manufactured-touch player who needs to prove he can catch the football more consistently.

Also on hand are futures players Danny Gray and Elijah Cooks. The former was named as one of the Eagles’ best practice squad players last season in an informal poll of the players taken by Philadelphia Eagles On SI while Cooks is a lengthy 6-4 option, again confirming the trend of trying to find bigger bodies to back up Brown.

DRAFT DAY BOTTOM LINE: The Eagles are loaded at WR with Brown, Smith, and Dotson, and further draft-proofed the position by signing Marshall as added depth this week.

If the position is addressed at all other than adding some bodies in undrafted free agency, it will be on Day 3.

EAGLES WR DEPTH CHART:

X: A.J. Brown; Johnny Wilson; Elijah Cooks

Z: DeVonta Smith; Terrace Marshall Jr.; Danny Gray

Slot/Flex: Jahan Dotson; Ainias Smith

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES ON SI TOP 10 (we asked three former NFL scouts for their top 10 at the position and came up with a cumulative list):

-First Round

1. Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona

2. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State

-First Round/Second Round

3. Luther Burden, Missouri

4. Matthew Golden, Texas

-Day 2

5. Jayden Higgins, Iowa State

6. Jalen Royals, Utah State

7. Jaylin Noel, Iowa State

8. Jack Bech, TCU

9. Tre Harris, Ole Miss

10. Isaiah Bond, Texas

Small School Sleeper - Efton Chism, Eastern Washington

Boom or Bust - Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona

BUILDING THE PERFECT WR

Speed - Matthew Golden, Texas - Golden ran a sub-4.3 at the combine, proving to be the fastest player in this year’s draft class. There is something about those Texas WRs.

Route running - Xavier Restrepo, Miami - There are athleticism concerns, but Restrepo is a separation machine from the slot who creates space with short-area quickness and sharp cuts.

Best hands - Restrepo - His drop rate at Miami over three seasons was 1.2%.

YAC - Tez Johnson, Oregon - Johnson has the make-you-miss gene plus the instincts to generate yardage in the open field.

50/50 balls - Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona - McMillan is a 6-foot-4 contested-catch machine. The concerns with him are an inability to create consistent separation.

Red zone - Jayden Higgins, Iowa State - At 6-4, Higgins had a knack for finding the end zone with a physical style of play that produced in tight quarters to the tune of eight red-zone TDs last season.

Best blocker - Elic Ayomanor, Stanford - As most fans have learned in Philadelphia, receivers need to block if you want big runs and Ayomanor has size (6-2, 210) and a physical presence to his game.

EAGLES PRE-DRAFT PROCESS NOTES:

-With three very talented WRs on the roster the only inkling with the Eagles and the position was Miami receiver Sam Brown at the combine.

Brown is a rangy deep threat with 4.4 speed who needs refinement and could be had as an undrafted free agent. Roseman has stressed bigger bodies and one other potential bigger target with some upside is Notre Dame’s Beaux Collins, who did some nice things in a run-heavy offense and could provide some help as an UDFA.

EAGLES POTENTIAL PICKS:

Day 1 - None.

Day 2 - None.

Day 3 - Sam Brown, Miami

The Eagles are set at the top of the depth chart with Brown, Smith, Dotson, and/or Marshall. The wrangling will be down roster to usurp Wilson and/or Smith. The former has value as a blocker, however, and the latter could serve as a backup returner and manufactured option to Avery Williams.

Marshall and Gray are better receivers than Wilson and Smith but will need to show they can help on special teams as well to push for a roster spot.

Any rookie addition will likely be topping out as a practice squad level.

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