An eye-opening stat reveals how elite A.J. Brown is at the wide receiver position
An eye-opening stat reveals how elite A.J. Brown is at the wide receiver position A.J. Brown's 16.1 yards per reception last season was second among all wideouts with at least 80 targets, behind only Jameson Williams of the Detroit Lions.
Being a part of a run-first offense has its downsides. Just ask Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown, who in 2024 saw his lowest statistical outputs since coming to Philadelphia, while playing in 13 games.
While injuries contributed to that, Saquon Barkley's historic rushing season limited the opportunities for Eagles' pass-catchers.
Numbers don't tell the entire story, however.
When Brown was involved, he was one of the NFL's most explosive players. His 16.1 yards per reception last season was second among all wideouts with at least 80 targets, behind only Jameson Williams of the Detroit Lions.
Jameson Williams 17.3 yards/reception A.J. Brown 16.1 yards/reception Calvin Ridley 15.9 yards/reception Darnell Mooney 15.5 yards/reception George Pickens 15.3 yards/reception DK Metcalf 15.0 yards/reception
Brown earned the league's highest receiving grade vs. single coverage last season (96.6), via Pro Football Focus. He also logged five 100-yard games, tied for the most among all wide receivers during the regular season.
At just 28 years old, Brown is still performing at an elite level, and a step back from the Eagles' run game or defense in 2025 could only increase his value in Philadelphia's offense.
'It has to change; it has to evolve,' Brown said of the offense in February. 'I don't know what wrinkles would look like, but we have to find ways to get better, you know? It's a lot of fame out there on us — we just won — and guys are going to be coming at us. We're not doing the hunting anymore. We're the hunted, and we have to get better.'
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