Eagles waste no time drafting A.J. Brown's replacement. Meet Makai Lemon

The Philadelphia Eagles traded up to select USC wide receiver Makai Lemon with the 20th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The expectation is that the addition of Lemon — the first receiver the Eagles have selected in the first round since DeVonta Smith in 2021 — will mark the end of A.J. Brown's time in Philadelphia, as NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported after the selection was announced.

Brown has been the subject of trade rumors throughout the 2026 NFL offseason. The 28-year-old has often been connected to the New England Patriots — where he would reunite with Mike Vrabel, who coached him with the Tennessee Titans — but hasn't yet been traded.

However, the Eagles have been active in adding receivers to their depth chart throughout the offseason. They signed Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore and traded for Dontayvion Wicks before ultimately selecting Lemon to be their long-term partner for Smith.

All of that signals that the Eagles are preparing to move on from Brown. They will likely do so after June 1, when they will be able to split Brown's dead-cap hit over two seasons instead of absorbing it all for the 2026 season.

Here's more to know about Lemon's fit with the Eagles.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver depth chart

Lemon figures to have a chance to win a starting job with the Eagles early in his career. Below is a look at the projected pecking order in Philadelphia's receiver room, with the expectation Brown will not play for the team in 2026.

1. DeVonta Smith
2. Makai Lemon
3. Dontayvion Wicks
4. Hollywood Brown
5. Darius Cooper
6. Elijah Moore

Lemon (5-11, 192 pounds) figures to fit best in the slot at the NFL level. He is a natural separator on the interior but also has excellent hands that will allow him to be a better contested-catch receiver than his size would indicate.

If Lemon can find early success in the slot, he should quickly endear himself to Jalen Hurts as both safety valve and an explosive, middle-of-the-field playmaker. Smith will remain Philadelphia's No. 1 receiver, as he's a bit more of a vertical threat than Lemon, but the two complement each other well.

Meanwhile, Wicks and Brown will battle for the No. 3 receiver role, with the winner likely playing on the outside in the spot previously held by A.J. Brown in three-wide sets.

Wicks should be viewed as the favorite for that role at present. Why? The Eagles gave him a one-year, $12.5 million extension after acquiring him via trade from the Green Bay Packers while Hollywood Brown inked a one-year, $6.5 million deal in free agency. That shows Howie Roseman has more confidence Wicks will develop into a starting-caliber player for Philadelphia, with Brown serving as a quality backup.