Examining the Eagles' new-look wide receiving corps

Looking closely at roles for a refurbished Eagles receiving corps in 2026, through the lenses of with A.J. Brown and without him.

By Jimmy Kempski
PhillyVoice Staff

Bill Streicher/Imagn Images

Eagles WR1 DeVonta Smith is poised for an even bigger role if A.J. Brown is traded and with other receivers stretching the field to create space.

The Philadelphia Eagles' wide receiving corps will look different in 2026, the degree to which will soon be determined.

At a minimum, the Birds' WR3 in 2024 and 2025 — Jahan Dotson — is gone; while three other receivers — Marquise Brown, Dontayvion Wicks, and Elijah Moore — have joined the team, one via trade and all with new contracts.

Of course, the question of whether or not A.J. Brown will be traded still lingers. (It remains likely.)

If A.J. Brown is traded...

• WR1 DeVonta Smith: If A.J. Brown is traded, DeVonta Smith will immediately become the focal point of the passing offense. Smith is already something of a star receiver, even if he may not be viewed that way nationally. He has topped 1,000 yards in three of his four NFL seasons, while also catching the "dagger" in the Eagles' second franchise Super Bowl win. Oh, and he also happens to own a Heisman Trophy and a couple of National Championship rings from his time at Alabama, including a game-winning walk-off TD reception in overtime in a National Championship game against Georgia. He is wired for this type of opportunity.

He was also pretty clearly a better player than A.J. Brown in 2025.

There are some within the Eagles' organization who believe that if Brown were no longer with the team that Smith can have a similar jump in production that Jaxon Smith-Njigba had in Seattle once DK Metcalf was out of the way.

• WR2 Dontayvion Wicks: If we're just looking at who is currently on the roster (minus A.J. Brown), Wicks would probably be the WR2 over Marquise Brown. He's younger, the Eagles invested more in him than they did in Brown, he is under contract for two years vs. one for Brown, and he seemingly already has the trust of offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. 

But more importantly, Wicks is a hard-nosed, rugged player who offers far more as a blocker in the run game than Brown does. How much that actually should matter is debatable, but my sense is that it will matter a lot in this new scheme.

Of course, if Wicks is going to have that kind of elevated role, he must curtail his dropped pass issues, as noted in the player review we published of him on Saturday.

• WR3 Marquise Brown: The Eagles want a speed guy who can stretch the field for guys like Smith and Dallas Goedert in the intermediate areas of the field. Brown had an unimpressive 12.0 yards per catch average in 2025, but after viewing all of his targets on the season that was more a reflection of the Chiefs' offensive scheme than it was an indictment of Brown's ability to make plays down the field.

Brown feels like a one-year rental.

• Dirty work guy TBD: That could be Johnny Wilson, Darius Cooper, or some rookie.

• Rookie draft pick: The Eagles will almost certainly select a wide receiver in the 2026 draft. It's just a matter of where. My friend Tommy noted that the Eagles have paid some attention to guys like Indiana's Omar Cooper (projected first-round pick), and Chris Bell (projected second-round pick). But thereafter, the guys they have looked at have speed: 

• Ted Hurst – 2nd round – 4.42
• De’Zhaun Stribling – 3rd round – 4.36
• Brenen Thompson – 3rd/4th round – 4.26
• Caleb Douglas – 6th rounder – 4.39

After the trade for Wicks, a first-round receiver feels less likely. But also, the strength of this wide receiver class is probably on Day 2. Here's a look at where The Athletic's Dane Brugler has receivers ranked in his top 75:

10) Carnell Tate, Ohio State
12) Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
14) Makai Lemon, USC
22) KC Concepcion, Texas A&M
25) Denzel Boston, Washington
27) Omar Cooper, Indiana
45) Germie Barnard, Alabama
46) Chris Brazzell, Tennessee
49) Malachi Fields, Notre Dame
53) Chris Bell, Louisville
61) Antonio Williams, Clemson
62) Ted Hurst, Georgia State
65) Elijah Surratt, Indiana
74) Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State
75) Zacharia Branch, Georgia

The Eagles have the 54th and 68th picks in the 2026 draft. There are nine receivers in the 45-75 range above. That feels like the sweet spot.

And if indeed the Eagles select a Day 2 receiver, that player will be given every opportunity to compete for playing time with Wicks and Brown.

If A.J. Brown isn't traded... 

Well, then, on paper the Eagles will have one of the best wide receiving corps in the NFL:

WR1a: DeVonta Smith
WR1b: A.J. Brown
WR3a (field stretcher): Marquise Brown
WR3b (dirty work guy): Dontayvion Wicks

Of course, "on paper" doesn't account for the possibility of A.J. Brown pouting through another season.

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