What Eagles drafting WR early means for A.J. Brown trade, past blunders

But Roseman added that does not preclude the Eagles from drafting a wide receiver early.

“I feel like the draft is its own entity,” he said. “You go into the draft and you have to take the best players available ... Nothing that we've done up until this point will affect the evaluations that we have on draft day."

NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said he had 19 wide receivers with grades in Rounds 1-3.

But as the Eagles can attest, the success rate is about 50% in the first round for all players, then diminishes from there as the draft moves along.

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So if the Eagles are drafting a wide receiver in the first round, they want a DeVonta Smith and not a Jalen Reagor. And if they're taking one in the second round, then they want, well, an A.J. Brown and not an Arcega-Whiteside.

Roseman said he thinks about those misses constantly.

"I think that sometimes when I think about those picks and think about the reasons that I miss on those picks, sometimes I even overcompensate," Roseman said. "So if you're bringing me somebody that may look like one of those guys, I'm going to be asking a lot of questions and I'm going to be skeptical and I'm going to be skeptical of my own report on those guys.

"I feel like they've also helped me really get better at my job. I think if it wasn't for those mistakes, a lot of the successful picks may not have happened."

When the Eagles drafted Reagor over Jefferson, for example, the Eagles were looking for a speed receiver who could stretch the field, and not someone like Jefferson, who was perceived as a slot receiver.

Reagor, however, never developed into that highly-coveted deep threat while Jefferson has 8,460 yards through six NFL seasons, with at least 1,000 yards receiving in each one. So the next year, when the Eagles drafted Smith at No. 10 overall, they weren't scared away by Smith's slight build at 6-feet, 170 pounds.

They simply saw him as the best receiver in the draft, so they took him. Smith set a franchise record for receiving yards as a rookie (916 yards), breaking DeSean Jackson's record in 2008. He has had three seasons with at least 1,000 yards receiving out of five.

Smith and Brown are the only wide receiver duo in Eagles' history to each go over 1,000 yards in the same season. They did it three times.

Both Roseman and Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni have said they see Smith as someone who could have even better seasons, regardless of whether Brown is traded or not. Smith's career high in receiving yards is 1,196 yards, set in 2022.

"It’s not like we have a 1A, a 1B," Sirianni said. "We have two No. 1s there. Obviously, DeVonta has had great seasons since he’s been here. He’s competitive, great football player, love everything about him."

KC Concepcion #7 of the Texas A&M Aggies runs for a touchdown against the Missouri Tigers in the second half in Columbia, Missouri on November 08, 2025.

5 WRs Eagles could draft in Rounds 1, 2

KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

If the Eagles are looking for a speed receiver, Concepcion could be the guy. But there are things that would give the Eagles pause in a Reagor comparison, most alarmingly some drops. Concepcion has more versatility than Reagor in that he can play outside and in the slot.

Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

There's a chance that Tyson's injury history causes him to fall into the Eagles' range. And if that's the case, the Eagles have to be comfortable with him. Tyson played in 9 games last season and 3 in 2023. But he was productive in those 9 games in 2025, with 61 catches for 711 yards. He has the size, 6-2, 203 pounds and the speed to play all three WR positions. But again, the injuries.

Omar Cooper, Indiana

Cooper would seem to have the Jefferson collegiate profile in that Cooper was mostly a slot receiver at Indiana last season, just like Jefferson was at LSU. But Cooper did play some on the outside. And at 6-feet, 199 pounds, he has the size and yards-after-the-catch ability that could fit in well with the Eagles.

Denzel Boston, Washington

Boston is a bigger receiver at 6-4, 218 pounds, who can win 50-50 balls over smaller cornerbacks, and would obviously be very effective in the red zone. But Boston is not especially fast, and he is not known for creating separation. Then again, the Eagles like receivers with different skill sets, and Boston's can definitely complement the Eagles' other receivers.

Chris Bell, Louisville

Bell would have the size at 6-1, 222 pounds that most resembles A.J. Brown. But Bell is recovering from a torn ACL and quite possibly wouldn't be ready for the start of training camp, thus likely delaying the start to his rookie season. That, of course, means the Eagles could get a first-round caliber receiver on Day 2. Again, if Brown is traded, can the Eagles get by with Smith, Wicks, Hollywood Brown and Moore until he's ready? If Brown is not traded, then the Eagles can be patient.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Sign up for the "Eye On The Eagles" newsletter, emailed to your inbox every Friday morning. Read his coverage of the Eagles’ championship season in “Flying High,” a hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at Fly.ChampsBook.com

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: What Eagles taking WR in NFL draft says for AJ Brown trade, past blunders