A.J. Brown trade grades for Patriots, Eagles

The A.J. Brown trade has been highly-anticipated for months. During that time, the New England Patriots emerged as the likely suitor for the star wide receiver, and now the Philadelphia Eagles have made the deal official.

In exchange for Brown, the Eagles are getting a 2028 first-round draft pick and the better of the Patriots’ two fifth-round picks in 2027.

It’s a big return for any player in a trade, as it’s very rare that first-rounders are dealt in the NFL. However, the Patriots clearly view it as a worthy price for someone who can completely transform their offense.

So, how did each team fare in this trade? Let’s get into the grades for both teams.

Patriots get a go-to option for Drake Maye

The Patriots are in desperate need of a No. 1 wide receiver, and now they have one in Brown. Kayshon Boutte was the best option outside the numbers for Drake Maye and company a season ago, and now his top overall option Stefon Diggs is gone as well. Brown immediately takes that spot and should make this one of the best passing games in all of football in 2026.

Simply put, there aren’t many more physically imposing receivers in all of football than Brown. He is listed at 6-foot-1, 226 pounds and has the strength to bully smaller defensive backs during the route, at the catch point and after the catch. He also has great speed on the outside, allowing him to capitalize on the space he creates with his strength and create big plays.

Those strengths have come to fruition on the stat sheet during Brown’s seven-year career. The three-time All-Pro has hit 1,000 yards in six of his seven NFL seasons, with more than 8,000 receiving yards and 56 touchdowns during that time.

Maye is one of the best deep-ball throwers, especially outside the numbers, in the NFL. That fits right into what Brown does well, as the Ole Miss product consistently dominates at the catch point down the field to secure those 50-50 balls. On paper, Maye and Brown are a match made in heaven. Brown should also have no shortage in targets on a Patriots offense that sill throw the ball more than Philadelphia did, so the locker room drama shouldn’t follow him here.

The Patriots also added Romeo Doubs in free agency, who is more of a possession receiver that can work in the underneath areas and complements Brown’s skillset beautifully. This is a home run for New England.

Grade: A+

The Eagles finally move on from the A.J. Brown saga

While it’s never a good thing to have to give up on someone as talented and productive as Brown is, the fact of the matter is that a divorce was the best thing on both sides here.

Brown clearly wasn’t happy in Philadelphia due to the lack of usage that he was getting. The Eagles leaned more and more on the run game last year, and when they did put the ball in the air, Brown just didn’t get a whole lot of looks. In 2025, Brown finished with the lowest yards per game, yards per reception, and yards per target of any of his four years in Philly as most of his targets became quick slants, screens and other underneath passes.

With this trade, the star receiver gets a change of scenery and a chance to produce the way he knows he is capable of.

On the other side, Brown had become a distraction for the Eagles and it was clear that Nick Sirianni and the rest of the staff were ready to move on. Philadelphia spent the offseason planning for this, trading up to draft Makai Lemon in the first round. DeVonta Smith is more than capable of stepping into the role of the No. 1 receiver, so the offense shouldn’t take too many steps back from a talent perspective.

The Eagles also get another first-rounder and a fifth-rounder to add to their war chest with this deal, which gives Howie Roseman more ammo to make a win-now swing if he chooses to.

It’s never easy to let go of a player of Brown’s caliber. However, the season that the Eagles had last year is not a model for success, and Philly did about as well as it could to limit the damage on his way out. This is good business from Roseman and company, even if it was forced on them in a way.

Grade: B+

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