CeeDee Lamb and A.J. Brown are compared as top wide receivers in the NFL, sparking debate among Cowboys and Eagles fans. The discussion is timely as Brown may be traded from the Eagles soon.
Key points
CeeDee Lamb and A.J. Brown are top NFL wide receivers.
Debate exists over which player is superior.
A.J. Brown is rumored to be traded to the New England Patriots.
Cowboys and Eagles fans are engaged in ongoing rivalry discussions.
The comparison is part of an offseason series.
Mentioned in this story
New England Patriots
Dallas CowboysPhiladelphia EaglesCeeDee LambA.J. Brown
NFL fans enjoy a good life, even if they are mostly unfulfilled in most instances. Only one fanbase finishes each season watching their squad hoist the Lombardi trophy, but most of the fun is the journey of weekly trash talking rivals and enjoying the dopamine shots from step victories across the weeks.
So while the Cowboys fanbase has enjoyed ultimate success more than the still-living portion of the Eagles fanbase, and younger generations of Philly fans have the bragging rights over Dallas fans 35 and younger, each side lavishes in the ability to one up the other. Over recent years, that argument has crystalized in the debate as to which team had the better WR1, AJ Brown or CeeDee Lamb.
So that feels like a natural place to kick off our offseason series of comparing the Cowboys' two elite receiving options, Lamb and George Pickens, against the top WR in the NFL heading into 2026. Choose your weapon.
It feels like good timing for the comparison, as Brown is almost assured of being shipped out of the division over the next month, widely rumored to be a post-June 1 trade acquisition by the New England Patriots. But over the past four seasons, Cowboys and Eagles fans have been engaged in a perpetually heated argument over perceived superiority.
Overview
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) dives with the ball as Indianapolis Colts safety Julian Blackmon (32) moves in Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Q&A
What are the key differences between CeeDee Lamb and A.J. Brown?
CeeDee Lamb and A.J. Brown differ in their playing styles, statistics, and impact on their respective teams, contributing to the ongoing debate about who is the better wide receiver.
Why is A.J. Brown rumored to be traded to the New England Patriots?
A.J. Brown is rumored to be traded to the New England Patriots due to speculation about his future with the Eagles and potential salary cap considerations.
How have Cowboys and Eagles fans compared Lamb and Brown over the years?
Cowboys and Eagles fans have engaged in heated debates over the perceived superiority of Lamb and Brown, often using their performances and team success as points of comparison.
What impact could A.J. Brown's trade have on the Eagles' offense?
A.J. Brown's trade could significantly impact the Eagles' offense by altering their receiving corps and potentially affecting their overall performance in the upcoming season.
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Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) dives with the ball as Indianapolis Colts safety Julian Blackmon (32) moves in Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Brown has a lot more variance in his performance, having areas of his route tree he excels at, and then areas where he's subpar. Lamb is a more well-rounded receiver, with both less standout routes and far less substandard ones. Giving Lamb, in Pickens, what Brown has enjoyed aside DeVonta Smith, saw Lamb's per-catch metric moved to the best of his career, by a half a yard. His touchdown conversions (3) cratered to the lowest of his career in 2025. Brown on the other hand has turned in 7 scores a year for three-straight seasons.
The Cowboys were moving Lamb away from his primarily-slot role already in 2024, but the moved even more extremely in 2025, with him lining up on the boundary at a 2-to-1 clip, made even more interesting by Pickens' 90% boundary usage. Perhaps the attempts at integrating Kavonte Turpin more are the cause for this, but Dallas will probably have much more success with Ryan Flournoy getting the Z receiver role in 2026, but that's an article for another day.
Brown on the other hand continued his move back to a heavy dosage of 8.5:1 boundary/snap ratio, living on the outside. His first two seasons in Philly saw him in the slot 25% of the time, but those days are gone.
Overall, Lamb had a better season of production, and was a more well-rounded receiver based on both alignment and route, but his concentration issues continue to rear their ugly head, dropping 1 out of almost every 10 attempts. Brown's advantage sat in being better at what I like to call "doing the right thing", though he wasn't rewarded the way Lamb was.
It will be interesting to see what Lamb's tree transformed into once his 2025 graphic is available. Even with Pickens lining up almost exclusively as the X, Lamb moved even further away from his slot monster persona last season.
