Jalen Hurts enters the 2026 season with no shortage of options, but the Eagles’ passing game is still going to sort itself out in layers.
With A.J. Brown gone, the obvious question is who steps into the top spot.
DeVonta Smith looks like the safest answer, and the rest of the pecking order is a lot more crowded than it first appears. Philadelphia has six new wide receivers and tight ends in the mix, and if you throw in the running backs, Hurts has 13 weapons to work with.
At the bottom of the list is E.J. Jenkins, who is expected to open the year in the TE3 role but probably won’t draw much attention.
Johnny Mundt checks in ahead of him mostly because he’s a blocking tight end and will be on the field more often. Tank Bigsby lands next, with his value tied more to blocking and spell work for Saquon Barkley than to the passing game.
Will Shipley comes in just above him, and he could wind up seeing more passing-down work than some fans expect.
The receiver group gets interesting in the middle. Elijah Moore and Hurts did build chemistry, but Moore is buried at the bottom of the depth chart, which makes his target outlook murky.
Hollywood Brown is supposed to be the deep threat, though the depth in this room could keep his opportunities in check. Darius Cooper, who made the team as an undrafted rookie last year and caught nine passes in his rookie season, should see more looks with Hurts’ confidence behind him, but the expectation is still only around the 20-reception range.
The tight ends and backs also have their place in this passing game. Eli Stowers should work his way up over the course of the season, while Saquon Barkley is set up to post his biggest receiving numbers as an Eagle. Dallas Goedert remains Hurts’ steady No. 3 option and figures to keep getting his share of targets and catches, even if 11 touchdowns isn’t the expectation again.
Makai Lemon is another name worth watching. The Eagles are expected to find ways to use him, but his early-season touch count could be limited because he missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury. Once he gets more work with Hurts, he should be in position to matter.
At the top of the list, Dontayvion Wicks has already shown enough in training camp to look like the new No. 2 receiver. Hurts and Wicks clicked quickly, and Wicks’ catch radius gives his quarterback room to throw it just about anywhere.
That leaves Smith where he’s been for years: first in line. He’s already posted three 1,000-yard seasons in five years with the Eagles, all of them while Brown was the lead option, and this could be the year he finally puts up career numbers and lands his first Pro Bowl selection.
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