The Philadelphia Eagles traded up to select USC wide receiver Makai Lemon with the 20th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The expectation is the addition of Lemon — the first receiver the Eagles have selected in the first round since DeVonta Smith in 2021 — will mark the end of A.J. Brown's time in Philadelphia, as NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported after the selection was announced.
Brown has been the subject of trade rumors throughout the 2026 NFL offseason. The 28-year-old has often been connected to the New England Patriots — where he would reunite with Mike Vrabel, who coached him with the Tennessee Titans — but hasn't yet been traded.
However, the Eagles have been active in adding receivers to their depth chart throughout the offseason. They signed Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore and traded for Dontayvion Wicks before ultimately selecting Lemon to be their long-term partner for Smith.
All of that signals that the Eagles are preparing to move on from Brown. They will likely do so after June 1, when they will be able to split Brown's dead-cap hit over two seasons instead of absorbing it all for the 2026 season.
