The Philadelphia Eagles were big winners this offseason, and a main reason why is because of their trade for star wideout A.J. Brown. During the 2022 NFL Draft, Philly sent a first and third-round pick to the Tennessee Titans for Brown, and gifted him a four-year, $100 million extension the same evening.
While bolstering the wide receiving corps was a goal for the Eagles this offseason, they do have a prospective No. 1 wide receiver entering his second year in the league. Last year, the Eagles used the No. 10 overall pick on Alabama’s DeVonta Smith, who virtually rewrote the SEC record book during his time at Alabama, and left the college ranks as a National Champion and Heisman Trophy Winner. In his first season with Philly, Smith set an Eagles rookie record with 916 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 64 catches.
Brown and Smith could be a dynamic duo soon, and the former believes his new team has two No. 1 wide receivers.
“In my opinion, Smitty is a wide receiver No. 1,” Brown said, via NFL.com. “And he going against a cornerback No. 2, I expect Smitty to dominate. Just taking pressure off each other. Even being on the same sides, so you can’t really double. It’s great having another great wideout besides you.”
Smith has already mentioned that he’s excited to learn from his new Pro Bowl running mate. Brown exploded on the NFL scene in his rookie season back in 2019, catching 52 passes for 1,051 yards and eight touchdowns. In his second season, he upped the ante with 70 catches for 1,075 yards and 11 touchdowns. He believes Smith could experience a second-year jump like the one he saw because of his special skillset.
“He’s a really good route runner,” Brown said of Smith. “Guys early on in their career, like first year, Year 2, they’re still developing and he can run every route in the route tree. Just a little [nuances], little things that, of course, that we all can get better at. And just keep tuning up our game and keep developing. I think the sky’s the limit for Smitty. So, I’m excited for him Year 2. I’m excited for the steps he takes.”
