Despite being widely considered an elite receiver, A.J. Brown is still underrated. No receiver is more important to their offense than Brown is to the Eagles. This was shown during his absence when the offense sputtered. Since coming back, Brown has been unguardable and has provided huge plays. The Eagles’ offense has transformed since Brown has been healthy and his presence changes how defenses play against the green and silver.
A.J. Brown is the Most Important Receiver in Football
Brown has been targeted 16 times in single coverage. In those 16 targets, he has 16 catches for 325 yards and 3 TDs. Unsurprisingly, Jalen Hurts has a perfect passer rating when targeting Brown in single coverage. This means the defense needs to help their corners when Brown is on the field, which opens up the Eagles’ offense. It means fewer defenders in the box to defend Saquon Barkley and more single coverage for Dallas Goedert and Devonta Smith. Brown’s chemistry with Jalen Hurts is fantastic, giving the quarterback more confidence.
While Devonta Smith and Dallas Goedert are great players, neither have the game-breaking ability of Brown. Brown is an elite deep threat, while also providing a security blanket for Jalen Hurts. That combination is rare and makes Brown a top-three receiver in the league. He has had a catch of at least 40 yards in every game this season. In an era where it is becoming harder to complete deep passes, his 20.3 yards per catch stands out. Brown’s presence has made the Eagles offense much more explosive.
Consistently Dominant
This season is no outlier for Brown. Since joining the Eagles, he has been one of the most dominant weapons in the NFL. He is coming off back-to-back 1,400-yard seasons and has shown he can do it all. He has had three offensive coordinators in three years with the Eagles and has been dominant with every single one. In Kellen Moore’s offense, he might be able to unlock even more. Receivers like Ceedee Lamb and Keenan Allen have flourished with Moore as a play-caller. Regardless, Brown would produce in any system. He is an elite deep threat, a special player after the catch, and a good route runner. There is not anything he cannot do.
The acquisition of Brown has turned out to be a masterstroke by Howie Roseman. In the past, receiver play had been inconsistent for the Eagles, but Brown has made it a strength. Brown and Smith have made fans forget about the days of Jalen Reagor and JJ Arcega-Whiteside. Jalen Hurts now has a plethora of reliable pass catchers, as well as a true number-one receiver in Brown.
Brown stuffs the stat sheet, but his impact goes beyond that. The rest of the Eagles’ offense looks much better when he is on the field. Saquon Barkley has more running lanes, Jalen Hurts has more confidence, and the offense looks much more coherent. Without Brown, everything the offense did looked hard, but with him, they can make moving the ball look easy.
Main Photo: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
