Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Building a WR Corps

Posted April 10th, 2026 | No Comments »

The Eagles have a dynamic receiving duo in AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith. The team has put role players around them, but guys who had very limited ceilings. It wasn’t a true WR corps. You’d have to go back to like 2017 to see a real WR corps in Philly. That was Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith, Nelson Agholor and Mack Hollins. Each of those guys brought something to the table and could contribute.

Howie Roseman is finally putting together a real group of WRs this offseason.

Let’s look at what the team has in place now.

AJ Brown
DeVonta Smith
Dontayvion Wicks
Marquise Brown
Elijah Moore
Darius Cooper
Johnny Wilson
Britain Covey
Quez Watkins

That looks worlds different that recent seasons. There is actual depth. There are players beyond the first two who can be counted on to be productive. Green Bay has gone with this kind of approach in recent years so it is no surprise the Eagles are doing that now that Sean Mannion is taking over as offensive coordinator. He wants a true group of receivers to build the offense around and to work with.

The obvious question here is what does this mean for AJ Brown’s future. It certainly points in the direction of him being dealt. I know some people still don’t understand why the team would do that. Some people are just sure this is all a media fabrication. All you have to do is look at Howie’s moves and the pre-draft meetings to see the Eagles are focused on the WR position. I don’t think that is the case if AJ is staying. It pains me to say that, but there is just too much evidence otherwise.

Let’s talk about Wicks. He is 6-1, 206. He isn’t speedy, running only a 4.6. But he’s tough and a good inside receiver. He will work the middle of the field. If AJ is on his way out, the Eagles need someone to work the middle.

Wicks is a young, ascending receiver who knows the new offense. He has had some issues with drops and will need to work on that. Wicks will block and isn’t a guy who is going to demand a ton of catches. Wicks has averaged 36 catches and 4 TDs in his three seasons. He’s not been a volume receiver so far. But remember that he’s been part of an offense that spreads the ball around by design. He can be more productive if given the chance.

We have heard the Eagles talk about how DeVonta Smith can be a clear #1, high volume receiver like Jaxson Smith-Njigba. Look at Seattle’s receiver group.

JSN
Cooper Kupp
Rashid Shaheed
Tory Horton
Jake Bobo

That’s the group that just won the Super Bowl. Howie might have studied that and figured it made sense from a schematic perspective and a financial perspective to move away from having two elite receivers.

The Eagles can still draft a receiver. They have been checking them out thoroughly in the pre-draft process. I think the Wicks move gives them more flexibility to not have to force things. The Eagles can use their draft picks on positions you can’t fix via free agency (OL especially). They can also trade up if they want to and not have to worry about not being able to add a receiver. Howie will have a lot of freedom in the upcoming draft.

There is a deep group of WRs available. There is a great chance the Eagles will have a chance to add a talented receiver if that is the way they want to go.

*****

Jimmy Bama wrote a piece today on the six most likely targets in the first round. He had WR Jordyn Tyson as one possibility.

I must respectfully disagree with Monsieur Le Bama.

Tyson is very talented. He’s one of the best receivers in this class when you study his tape. He caught 158 passes and 22 TDs in his career.

That might remind you of CeeDee Lamb. Tyson is really gifted. He can be a star in the NFL. The raw talent and athletic ability is there. So what’s the issue? He only played in 33 games in his four seasons in college. He missed most of 2023 while dealing with a knee injury. He skipped out on his team’s bowl game this year. He then wasn’t able to work out at the Combine or his Pro Day due to a lingering hamstring issue. Teams are openly questioning his toughness.

Daniel Jeremiah isn’t one to throw guys under the bus. His comments and hesitations there speak volumes to me. Nick Sirianni preaches toughness and competition. He wants players that love to compete. I just don’t think Tyson fits that description based on what we are hearing.

Maybe I’m dead wrong and the Eagles will fall in love with his talent. With no concerns Tyson wouldn’t last to pick 23. Would he be too tempting for Howie to pass on? I just don’t know that you risk a first round pick on a player there could be doubts on. We’ll see.

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