Eagles pull off rare trade with Cowboys to draft potential A.J. Brown replacement

The Philadelphia Eagles traded up in the first round to grab a wide receiver, and they did it by dealing with a division rival.

Philadelphia moved from No. 23 to No. 20 in a swap with the Dallas Cowboys, giving up its first-rounder plus both fourth-round picks at No. 114 and No. 137 to land USC's Makai Lemon.

Lemon brings solid route-running instincts and knows how to find soft spots in coverage. At 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, he fits the mold of a slot weapon at the next level. But the decision to draft him might say more about A.J. Brown's future in Philadelphia than anything else.

Did Eagles just hint at A.J. Brown move?

The Eagles already loaded up at receiver this offseason. They added Marquise Brown, Dontayvion Wicks and Elijah Moore to a room that still features three-time All-Pro A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, who crossed 1,000 yards in three of his five seasons.

There's no shortage of talent at the position, which makes the Lemon pick stand out even more. However, even NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport mentioned during the draft broadcast that Philadelphia appeared to be preparing for life without Brown.

Brown's frustration with the offense became a storyline throughout the 2025 season, and trade rumors never really went away. Trading up in a division deal to grab Lemon only strengthened that belief. Brown's exit from Philadelphia is starting to look inevitable.

Makai Lemon’s huge USC season pays off

Lemon put together a monster year with the Trojans in 2025. He won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver and earned first-team Associated Press All-American and first-team All-Big Ten honors.

Lemon finished eighth in the FBS with 1,156 receiving yards on 79 catches, good for a 14.6-yard average. He found the end zone 11 times, which tied for ninth nationally. Across 12 starts, he contributed as a rusher, kick returner, punt returner and even threw a touchdown pass.