The Eagles’ receiver picture looks a lot different without A.J. Brown, and ESPN’s latest ranking makes that clear. Mike Clay slotted Philadelphia’s wideout group at No. 21 in the NFL, a spot that reflects just how much uncertainty sits behind DeVonta Smith.
Smith is the clear headliner, but the rest of the depth chart is loaded with questions. Clay had the Eagles 12 spots behind the New England Patriots, and the ranking lands as a warning sign for a room that has already taken a step back from where it was over the last few seasons.
The biggest name among the new faces is Makai Lemon, a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He has missed a lot of training camp because of a hamstring injury, which only adds to the uncertainty around Philadelphia’s group.
Dontayvion Wicks is another player to watch after arriving from the Green Bay Packers. He has shown flashes during camp and throughout the offseason, but the Eagles still don’t know exactly what he’ll look like in a bigger role.
Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore were two more offseason additions, and both bring some intrigue. Even so, neither comes off as the kind of player the Eagles can feel great about leaning on.
Darius Cooper, an undrafted rookie, has made himself a fun name to follow and looks likely to make the roster. For now, though, he projects as depth.
Britain Covey and Johnny Wilson also round out the room, but neither is a lock to stick. And if they do, the expectation is simple: backup roles.
That’s the group Clay evaluated as 21st in the league, one spot ahead of the Washington Commanders and one behind the Arizona Cardinals, while sitting nine places behind the New York Giants.
In Other News...
Cooper DeJean Practice Clip Has Eagles Fans Talking For The Wrong Reason
Joint practices usually provide the cleanest snapshot of where a roster stands before the games start counting, and one of the most watched matchups on the field Thursday in New England came with Cooper DeJean lined up across from DeMario Douglas. The Eagles defensive back entered the offseason with plenty of momentum after earning first-team All-Pro honors as a slot defender last season, so every rep against a quick, elusive receiver was going to draw attention from fans looking for clues about how Philadelphias secondary is coming together.
Douglas made the most of the spotlight, winning all three of their 1-on-1 reps by snapping off sharp cuts and exploding into separation, and the clip moved quickly through social media as Eagles followers reacted to what they saw. It is still only a practice setting, of course, but when a player with DeJeans reputation looks out of sync in a widely shared drill, it is the kind of thing that tends to linger until the pads come on and the matchup gets another chance to play out. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Bubble Players Suddenly Feel Like Real Trade Candidates
With roster cutdown day looming on Aug. 30, the Eagles are at the point in camp where the back end of the roster starts to matter as much as the headline names. The usual churn of preseason competition has turned into a real evaluation of who can help Philadelphia now, who has a future here, and who might bring back something useful if the front office decides to move a player instead of simply waive him.
That is why a few bubble cases suddenly carry more trade intrigue than they did a week ago. Andy Dalton, Smael Mondon Jr., Hollywood Brown, Jakorian Bennett and Fred Johnson all sit in different spots on the depth chart, but each comes with a mix of team need, contract situation and performance questions that could make them attractive to another club before the deadline. Nothing is settled yet, but this is the part of camp when a player can go from fighting for a roster spot to being discussed as a legitimate trade chip. [Read more 🡒]
Former Penn State Standout Sees Strong Eagles Camp Cut Short
Tariq Castro-Fields had been one of the more intriguing names in Eagles camp, trying to turn a strong summer into a legitimate push for a 53-man roster spot while working back from a heel injury. The former Penn State standout brought enough familiarity and upside to make him worth watching in a secondary that always seems to have room for another corner to force the issue.
Instead, Philadelphia moved Castro-Fields to injured reserve, which ends his training camp and likely his season before the real evaluation could even finish. The Eagles also waived/injured wide receiver Johnny Wilson while adding center Zeke Correll and wide receiver Brandon Hayes, a reminder of how quickly roster opportunities can shift at this stage of camp, especially for players trying to survive on the margins. [Read more 🡒]