Despite missing four games in the regular season. A.J. Brown eclipsed 1,000 yards (1,079) for the third straight season as an Eagle. His counterpart, DeVonta Smith, also missed four games but still accumulated 833 yards and eight touchdowns. Brown and Smith both scored touchdowns in the Super Bowl LIX victory and signed contract extensions last offseason through 2028 (Smith) and 2029 (Brown), respectively.
Former first-round pick Jahan Dotson was traded to Philadelphia from the Commanders just before Week 1. Although he only accumulated 19 catches for 216 yards, the speedy receiver seemed to get more comfortable with Jalen Hurts as the season went on. Dotson scored the Eagles' opening touchdown of the postseason against the Packers in the Wild Card Round and put them in position to score on a 27-yard catch to the 1-yard line in the Super Bowl.
2024 fifth-round pick Ainias Smith improved tremendously from Training Camp to the end of the season. He scored his first career touchdown in Week 18 on a day where he had four catches for 35 yards. Another rookie, Johnny Wilson, provides a unique 6-foot-6 frame and played in 16 games this season. He can be a useful tool in the red zone for the Eagles with his size.
The Eagles signed Elijah Cooks and Danny Gray to reserve/future contracts. Cooks went undrafted out of San Jose State in 2023. He played in 11 games with the Jaguars over two seasons, having three catches for 38 yards. Gray was a third-round pick of the 49ers in 2022 who spent time on the Eagles practice squad this season.
Free Agents
Britain Covey will be a restricted free agent. Covey played in just five games in 2024 for the Eagles after spending most of the year on Injured Reserve with neck and shoulder injuries. Parris Campbell will be an unrestricted free agent. Campbell spent time on both the practice squad and active roster for the Eagles in 2024, finishing on the active roster for the Super Bowl. The veteran receiver caught six passes for 30 yards and scored a touchdown in Week 4 against Tampa Bay this season.
Bird Talk
A.J. Brown on his relationship with DeVonta Smith:
"We have a special group who cares about each other. Me and DeVonta, we're peanut butter and jelly. Really good friends – not even friends, we're like family. My success is his success, his success is my success. We're happy for one another. We know we're going to get taken care of at the end of the day and we look at it as competition, too. Whoever gets the ball, whoever gets going, we feed off that energy. I can't speak on anyone else's (around the league) and I'm not, but I'm happy to have a partner like that alongside of me who pushes me, who is selfless."
Notable Stat
At just 26 years old, DeVonta Smith became the Eagles' all-time leader in postseason receiving yards with 595 yards in nine games. Smith also holds the franchise-record for most yards in a single-playoff game with 148 (Jan. 15, 2024, vs. Buccaneers).
Under the Microscope
The Eagles have a young, but experienced receiving group. Brown is the oldest in the room at just 27 years old, followed by Smith at 26. Will they add any older veterans or continue to build through the draft? What will Dotson's role be in 2025? If the end of the 2024 season is any indication, he will have a chance to make an impact as a dangerous third receiver. Smith and Wilson now have a year under their belts, so it will be interesting to see where and how they're used in Year 2. – Written by Liam Wichser
