Insider shares why some within Eagles aren't concerned about losing A.J. Brown in potential trade

Is Philadelphia Eagles wideout A.J. Brown holding teammate DeVonta Smith back? Some within the organization appear to believe so.

As trade chatter about a potential trade involving Brown increases with the 2026 NFL Draft a little over a week away — Round 1 will be held on April 23 — the Philly Voice's Jimmy Kempski recently examined what the Eagles' receiving corps would look like if the three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver is dealt.

While naming Smith WR1, Kempski revealed the thinking of some Eagles staffers who have high expectations for the 2020 Heisman winner.

"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," Kempski wrote.

Last offseason, the Seattle Seahawks traded Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers, making Smith-Njigba their top wideout. He rewarded Seattle's faith by earning Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year honors, ending 2025 with 119 receptions for a league-high 1,793 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

Eagles believe DeVonta Smith could blossom in WR1 role pending possible A.J. Brown trade

Brown and Smith put up nearly identical numbers last season, with Brown ending the year with 78 receptions on 121 targets for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns. Smith had 77 receptions on 113 targets, gaining 1,008 yards with four touchdowns. Advanced data from NFL Pro slightly favored Smith, who added 0.46 expected points (EPA) per target, compared to 0.21 EPA per target for Brown, who led the team with a 24.3 percent target share, per Sports Info Solutions.

Without much separating the two in terms of production, it makes sense why the Eagles would prefer Smith, whom they selected with their 2021 first-round pick (No. 10 overall) and is a year younger and $7M cheaper annually than Brown.

But Philadelphia will be making a huge bet if it believes Smith can have the same kind of season Smith-Njigba just had with the Seahawks. Quarterback Jalen Hurts has averaged 197.6 passing yards per game over the past two seasons, the fewest (by 20 yards) among 15 quarterbacks with at least 30 starts during that span. (h/t Stathead)

The Eagles are also on their fifth offensive coordinator, Sean Mannion, in as many seasons, adding to the uncertainty. 

If front-office or coaching staff members believe trading Brown will be the key to unlocking another level of production out of Smith, they may be sorely mistaken. While he'd certainly command a larger target share, it'd be wise to pump the brakes on a Smith-Njigba-esque ascension.

It won't be that simple. Even if Brown is dealt, enough problems will remain that a monster season from Smith will be far from guaranteed.