There were a series of trades the Philadelphia Eagles made throughout the offseason, but one stands out from the rest as the best move they made.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman knew the team was going to move on from A.J. Brown, as they ended up trading him to the New England Patriots last week. Bleacher Report writer Moe Moton ranked a move the Eagles made before then in the top 15 overall, and as the best the franchise made, trading up three spots in the 2026 NFL Draft to select USC wide receiver Makai Lemon.
"Based on the timing of the Philadelphia Eagles sending wideout A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots, general manager Howie Roseman probably knew he would make the move once the 2026 dead cap hit dropped from $43.3 million to $16.4 million to trade him post-June 1. So, his move up three spots for Makai Lemon makes sense, especially when few thought the USC product would be available at No. 20."
Eagles' trade up to select Makai Lemon is considered one of the best offseason moves
Lemon was once considered to be a top 15 pick, so for him to drop to the 20th overall selection was a miracle for the Eagles. That was too good to pass up on for Roseman, who was focused on rebuilding the wide receiver room with the intention of trading Brown away.
It was a great move for the Eagles, as Lemon was a Fred Biletnikoff Award winner last year for being the nation's best wide receiver. The last time Philly selected a trophy winner at wide receiver, they got DeVonta Smith, and that worked out pretty well for them.
Entering the 2026 season, Lemon will be lining up in the slot for the Eagles, with Smith and Dontayvion Wicks expected to be on the outside. Lemon has great abilities and can do it all at wide receiver, despite not being the fastest or tallest player on the field.
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Replacing Brown is going to be nearly impossible for the Eagles, as he is an elite talent in the NFL, but Lemon will make for a perfect WR2 for Smith in the offense. There might not have been a more important move in the offseason for the Eagles than getting Lemon for the future.
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