A.J. Brown is still officially a member of the Philadelphia Eagle, but all signs point to them flying on without him.
Much as Brown was acquired by Philly on a Day 1 draft trade in 2019, his potential replacement has been as well.
The Eagles traded up with the archrival Dallas Cowboys to select USC wide receiver Makai Lemon with the 20th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday night in Pittsburgh.
Philadelphia traded its original No. 23 to the Cowboys, along with two fourth-round picks (Nos. 114 and 137, in exchange for No. 20 (Lemon) and a 2027 seventh-round choice.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported shortly after that the Eagles were "operating under the assumption that A.J. Brown will not be on their team next season."
Though the Eagles are expected to trade Brown, Lemon's addition fortifies a strong receiving corps led by DeVonta Smith, another first-round pick of general manger Howie Roseman. They previously added Dontayvion Wicks via trade with the Green Bay Packers and signed Marquise Brown.
Lemon's game hardly mirrors Brown's with his a physical outside presence, but he's drawn myriad comparisons to another Trojans product, current Detroit Lions dynamo Amon-Ra St. Brown.
A two-year starter at USC, Lemon is a slot maven with otherworldly ball skills. In 2025, he amassed 1,156 receiving yards on 79 catches with 11 touchdowns en route to being named the Biletnikoff Award winner as college football's top receiver. Lemon was named a first-team All-American, first-team All-Big Ten player, and crowned the Polynesian College Football co-Player of the Year (Utah OT Spencer Fano).
At 5-foot-11, 192 pounds, Lemon doesn't boast imposing size, but he is a battler who will fight for every pigskin and scrap for each yard. He's an excellent route runner, with sharp breaks at the top of his route, allowing him to gain separation even against fast corners. Lemon excels against zone, knowing where to sit in space.
Lemon possesses vice-grip hands, boasting a 2.8% career drop rate. Doing his best work out of the slot, Lemon wins with quickness off the line and plays bigger than his frame, winning 50/50 balls, and can contort his body to snag off-target throws.
The few questions about Lemon's game are whether his size will translate against bigger defenders and, quicker than fast, can he consistently generate space against NFL-caliber corners.
The former Trojan was mocked by many to the Los Angeles Rams, but they pulled off a stunner by drafting quarterback Ty Simpson. So Lemon is leaving L.A. and headed to Philly, where he'll look to fortify new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion's squad and provide quarterback Jalen Hurts with another top target along with Smith.
