The Philadelphia Eagles finally got the A.J. Brown trade done, as he is heading to the New England Patriots, but it certainly adds more intrigue to what it could mean for players in Philly in the future.
As part of the trade, the Eagles got a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2028 first-round pick. It's a clear win-win for the Eagles, as their future is set in the draft and they don't have to navigate the drama Brown brings.
Now that the trade is done, though, more storylines are going to be created from it. The Eagles already took care of adding talent in the wide receiver room, but the pressure is on one player with the team to be the guy fans hope he will be: Makai Lemon.
Makai Lemon faces pressure to be great with A.J. Brown gone
Lemon was selected in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft after the Eagles traded up from pick 23 to pick 20 with the Dallas Cowboys to go get him. That selection was clearly made so that Lemon can replace Brown in the starting lineup, and they can move forward with the former USC pass catcher.
The role that Lemon is going to play in this Eagles offense is completely different from what Brown was playing. Lemon is going to be lining up in the slot, while Brown is an outside receiver.
Dontayvion Wicks is expected to be the outside receiver replacing Brown in the lineup, but that doesn't mean he's going to get the targets. Lemon is still going to get a lot of looks alongside DeVonta Smith as they are the future one-two punch at receiver.
Still, a lot of eyes will be on Lemon this summer to step up and be ready for the 2026 season. Unfortunately for the rookie, he's got big shoes to fill with Brown gone, as he has to replace two Pro Bowls, three second-team All-Pro selections, and four 1,000-yard seasons.
Read more: These 3 Eagles position groups saw massive regression in 2026 offseason
Eagles fans will be patient with Lemon, but if he doesn't play well in his rookie season, that heat will go up from 3 to 10 very quickly.
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