The Philadelphia Eagles came into the offseason with a ton of question marks. Unfortunately, they haven’t answered all of them with the draft right around the corner. Perhaps the biggest mystery remains the fate of superstar wide receiver A.J. Brown.
Despite adding more depth at the wide receiver spot in the form of Dontayvion Wicks, one analyst believes they need more to remain a threat in the increasingly competitive NFC. As a result, the 2026 NFL Draft could be a way for them to make a major upgrade.
Eagles Need to Be Aggressive With Wide Receiver Help
From dominating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59 to having one of the most inconsistent offenses in the entire league, the fall from grace for the Eagles was precipitous. Bottom-10 in number of first downs and their third-down conversion rate, they couldn’t stay on the field for too long.
Some of that was a fall to normalcy for Saquon Barkley after reaching historic levels in 2024. But some of the blame also fell on the passing attack, where Brown was a vocal critic of the way things were being handled.
Since then, a trade has felt inevitable, but Philadelphia has soldiered on. Now, as it appears more likely than ever, PFSN analyst Alec Elijah believes they need to have contingencies in place to sustain the loss of a three-time All-Pro selection.
In his latest mock draft, he had the Eagles making a trade in the second round with the New York Jets to climb to the 44th overall pick (in exchange for picks 54 and 98) to draft Chris Bell out of Louisville.
“As rumors continue to circulate about a potential split between the Eagles and A.J. Brown, Philadelphia could find itself in a position to be aggressive in this year’s draft,” Elijah argued, before explaining his rationale for adding Bell to the roster.
“Trading up for a replacement like Louisville’s Chris Bell would make plenty of sense, as the physical wideout brings a powerful presence after the catch and thrives in one-on-one situations as a tough, downhill runner,” Elijah added.
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As his role with the Cardinals continued to increase, his numbers steadily climbed as well. Ranking at number 27 on PFSN’s College Football WR Impact Metric, Bell finished his college career with 151 receptions for 2,166 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 14.3 yards per reception in 47 games.
Bell is currently the eighth-ranked wideout on PFSN’s Big Board and has an average draft position of 45.8 on PFSN’s Mock Draft Simulator.
