AJ Brown Expected To Be Paired With Drake Maye In A Post-June 1 Trade To New England Patriots

ESPN's Adam Schefter broke big news this morning, stating that AJ Brown is expected to be traded to the New England Patriots on or after June 1.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) looks on prior to an NFC Wild Card Round game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The 2026 NFL Draft is now just days away, with Night 1 kicking off on Thursday, April 23, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With the draft just around the corner, we have already started off the week with some massive news.

According to ESPN Insider Adam Schefter, the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots are expected to resume trade talks for Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown "on or before June 1," which will "likely" culminate in a deal.

The Eagles remain open to trading AJ Brown, the Patriots remain highly interested in acquiring the star receiver, and conversations are expected to resume shortly on or before June 1, likely culminating in a deal, per league sources.

As one source said about the Patriots'… https://t.co/00gLK5DEdh pic.twitter.com/JnCQF2wz7z

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 20, 2026

New England acquiring Brown would be a game-changer for fantasy football owners, and this news could alter the entire landscape of the NFL Draft. It takes Brown out of the equation for other teams to acquire and addresses a team need that the Patriots were expected to address early in the draft.

Fantasy Impact

WR AJ Brown, Philadelphia Eagles

This trade would give Brown a significant fantasy boost. He would be going to a team with lesser pass-catching options and a much more prolific passing quarterback.

Last season, Jalen Hurts completed 294 of 454 pass attempts for 3,224 yards and 25 touchdowns. Drake Maye completed 354 of 492 pass attempts for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns with one of the worst groups of pass-catchers in the NFL.

Teaming with Maye could take Brown's fantasy value to the next level. He would go from a fringe WR1 to a potential high-end elite WR1.

QB Drake Maye, New England Patriots

As we just mentioned, Maye is in desperate need of a true WR1. Last year, he put forth an MVP-caliber performance with an aging Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte as his top targets.

Bringing in Brown could catapult him to super stardom. Something we've seen happen with many young quarterbacks in the past. The addition of Brown would lock him in as a high-end QB1 right up there with anyone in the league.

WR DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles

Smith would be the biggest beneficiary in Philly. He'll be going from the WR1b behind Brown to the clear-cut WR1, well ahead of Hollywood Brown. Cutting Brown out of the equation would open up a ton of targets for Smith and would push him into the low-end WR1 conversation, with his floor being a high-end WR2 in drafts.

TE Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles

Goedert could get a sneaky big boost in fantasy value as well. It would likely be Goedert and not Hollywood Brown who steps up as Hurts's second option in the passing attack with AJ Brown gone.

QB Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Losing a stud wideout like Brown is never a positive for a quarterback. He has already seen his fantasy production decline from its peak over the past few seasons, and this should only further sink his value.

More Fantasy Sports On SI News