When the draft rolls around, you always find those “hidden gems” in the later rounds. Some avid football fans, myself included have referred to the last round as the “championship round”. This is when teams find that one player who will eventually become a star. In 2019, the Tennessee Titans drafted a wide receiver by the name of A.J. Brown. Next to Derrick Henry, A.J. became a key part of the Titans’ offense. Because of the constant stacking of the box, he would always see those one-on-one opportunities. As draft time approaches, I always say to expect the unexpected. Next season, A.J. will be playing his football in South Philadelphia with the Eagles as the team acquired him in a draft-night trade on Thursday.
I’ve been a fan of his dating back to his days in college. He’s a smaller guy standing only at 6’1 and weighing 226 pounds, but he’s solid. When you watch him, you’d think he was a possession receiver. As I’ve often said for years, this is a guy that plays much bigger than he appears. A.J. is faster than people give him credit for. So many people look at his build and stature that they think he can’t move. He runs clean, yet efficient routes and positions himself to make those acrobatic catches. When it comes to yards after the catch, he’s one of the best in the business. A.J. has a special ability to break those tackles and use his strength along with his speed to scatter through defenses. I’ve watched him make those catches, power himself through traffic and turn on the burners to accelerate through the secondary and into the endzone. I like the toughness A.J. plays with because he doesn’t want to maneuver his way around you in the open field. He’s tough enough to lower that shoulder and power through a would-be tackler. If you need an example of his toughness mixed with his strength, look no further than the week 11 game back in 2020 when the Titans played the Ravens in Baltimore. A.J. ran a simple in-route and he was able to power himself up and push himself into the endzone.
This move gives the Eagles another weapon alongside DeVonta Smith. Last year, they struggled to find Jalen Hurts another weapon on the perimeter to consistently make catches down the field. Now, you insert A.J. into the mix and he can help open the field vertically. A.J. gives the Eagles a true playmaking receiver for the quarterback.
