NFL personnel make no secret about how they rank A.J. Brown among other WRs

ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler has been causing quite a stir with his article series on how NFL personnel rank the top 10 players at each position. It's time for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown to learn his fate.

The good news is that Brown was in the top 10, landing at number five in the rankings. Meanwhile, his teammate DeVonta Smith received votes, but not enough to make the top 10 or honorable mention. Two anonymous scouts and evaluators shared what makes Brown one of the best receivers in the game.

'He's still awesome,' a veteran AFC scout said. 'He comes up big when you need him, he's still incredibly strong and fast enough. A nightmare to tackle. Maybe a tad slower than he was, but that's slight.'

'Dealing with his physicality and strength is a problem [for cornerbacks]," an NFL personnel evaluator said. "At the end of the day, sometimes, it's really that simple.'

Is Brown among the best receivers in the NFL?

The old saying of "numbers don't lie" has never been spoken truer than with Brown. Since being traded to the Eagles in 2022, Brown has eclipsed over 1,000 yards and at least seven touchdowns in his three seasons in Philly. He's been selected for the Pro Bowl twice and has been a second-team All-Pro three times.

Pro Football Focus has been one of the biggest defenders of Brown being potentially the best receiver in the NFL. Trevor Sikkema ranked Brown number one on the site's top 32 wide receivers in the NFL. Brown was also recently ranked as the best short-yard receiver in the league.

Many will look at the stats from last year and think he took a dip, but he really didn't. Despite his 67 receptions for 1,079 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024, he missed four games, three because of injury, but was pacing for a third straight 1,400-yard year.

There's no denying how dangerous Brown is as a receiver. He can beat defenders deep down the field and can make those contested catches in tough coverage.

People think that with him getting older, he's losing a step, but he's still 28 and in the prime of his career. If the Eagles look to throw the football more often this season, Brown will be Jalen Hurts' number one target again.