Trade grades: Eagles draft A.J. Brown's potential replacement with assist from rival Cowboys

Got all that? In comes Lemon, out -- probably -- goes Brown, a lot of it thanks to an NFC East arch-rival. Here's how I grade the trade.

Eagles: A

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has once again shown why he is one of the best in the business. Without having to give up much, Roseman took full advantage of Lemon's surprising slide to the back-end of the first round.

Lemon was the third receiver taken on Thursday night and was selected 12 picks after the second receiver -- Jordyn Tyson -- was taken by the Saints with the No. 8 overall pick. You could argue, though, that Lemon is the best receiver in this draft.

The 5-foot-11, 192-pound Lemon is an explosive player who is reminiscent of former Panthers All-Pro Steve Smith Sr. Like Smith was, Lemon is a fiery competitor who can turn a short pass into a big play. He's a threat to take it the distance every time he gets his hands on the ball.

Lemon's transition to the NFL will be made easier by the presence of Smith and former 2,000-yard rusher Saquon Barkley. He'll also get to play with the dynamic Jalen Hurts.

Cowboys: D

Dallas likely decided to trade back after watching yet another offensive tackle come off the board when the Panthers selected Monroe Freeling with the 19th overall pick. With five offensive tackles already off the board, the Cowboys pivoted, traded picks with the Eagles and used the No. 23 overall pick to select pass rusher Malachi Lawrence.

In Lawrence, the Cowboys acquired a player who can bolster a pass rush that was one of the league's worst in 2025. But that doesn't overshadow their lack of aggressivness in terms of getting one of the draft's top tackle.

Really, though, the Cowboys' biggest sin here was the fact that they gave their rival a big assist. Dallas helped the Eagles win a Super Bowl six years ago when they helped them draft Smith, and a similar story may play out in the coming years.