Draft Could Deliver Good News If Eagles Move On From Superstar

The good news, if any can be gleaned from the possibility that the Eagles could part ways with a Hall of Fame talent in A.J. Brown, is that this spring’s draft class is deep with talented wide receivers.

There are 11 receivers among the top 50 prospects released earlier in the week by NFL Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah. There don’t figure to be that many when Jeremiah’s final top 50 prospect list comes out much closer to the draft and after the NFL Scouting Combine in February, but it’s a good baseline for the talent in this crop of pass catchers.

Then there are a few others who are excelling in practices this week, leading up to the Senior Bowl, receivers such as Notre Dame’s Malachi Fields, Georgia State’s Ted Hurst, and Tyren Montgomery of Division III John Carroll. The game will be televised on the NFL Network at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Only Fields is on Jeremiah’s top 50 list. Here is that list:

Makai Lemon, USC, No. 7

Carnell Tate, Ohio State, No. 9

Jordan Tyson, Arizona State, No. 15

Denzel Boston, Washington, No. 20

K.C. Concepcion, Texas A&M, No. 32

Antonio Williams, Clemson, No. 36

Chris Brazzell, II, Tennessee, No. 44

Malachi Fields, Notre Dame, No. 45

Deion Burks, Oklahoma, No. 46

Zachariah Branch, Georgia, No. 48

Chris Bell, Louisville, No. 50

Senior Bowl Standout Catch

What a catch by Malachi Fields! pic.twitter.com/u6ZJFvVoYh
— Matt Stopsky (@MStopsky) January 28, 2026

General manager Howie Roseman isn’t tipping his hand on what he will do with Brown, who was unhappy and unfocused throughout most of the 2025 season. His 1,003 yards this season were the second-fewest in his seven-year career, behind the 869 he had in 2021 while with the Titans.

At his season-ending news conference earlier this month, Roseman basically double-downed on what he said about Brown at the trade deadline and why he wasn’t dealt in early November.

“It is hard to find great players in the NFL and A.J.'s a great player,” said the GM on Jan. 15. “I think from my perspective, that's what we're going out and looking for when we go out here in free agency and in the draft is trying to find great players who love football, and he's that guy.”

The Eagles own the 23rd overall pick this spring and they haven’t used a first-round selection on an offensive player since taking receiver DeVonta Smith 10th overall in 2021. Since then, Roseman has taken just two receivers in the draft, both in 2024 – Ainias Smith in the fifth round, Johnny Wilson in the sixth. Smith was released at the of training camp and just signed a futures contract with the Panthers and Wilson spent his second season on injured reserve.

It’s a position that feels like a blind spot for Roseman and his staff when you consider that the year before Smith came, in 2020, Roseman took three receivers, including Jalen Reagor in the first round – even though Justin Jefferson was still on the board - and followed by John Hightower in the fifth and Quez Watkins in the sixth.

Those three were busts, as was J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, a second-round pick in 2019. Mack Hollins will play in the Super Bowl with the Patriots in two weeks, but he never did much with the Eagles as a fourth-round pick in 2017, a year that also brought bust Shelton Gibson in the fifth.

With solid receivers throughout the draft, Roseman must get it right. Even if they don’t trade Brown, they must restock the position with young talent.

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