Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown joined the Philadelphia Eagles in a high-profile trade on Draft Day. He will now pair up with former first-round pick DeVonta Smith – and he has high praise for his new teammate.
Speaking to the media this week, Brown asserted that Smith is a true No. 1 wide receiver. He believes that Smith will dominate opposing defenses since he’ll be going up against teams’ No. 2 cornerback.
“In my opinion, Smitty is a wide receiver No. 1,” Brown said, via NFL.com. “And he going against a cornerback No. 2, I expect Smitty to dominate. Just taking pressure off each other. Even being on the same sides, so you can’t really double. It’s great having another great wideout besides you.”
Brown had even more compliments for Brown later on, complimenting him on his route running. Ultimately he believes “the sky’s the limit” for “Smitty.”
“He’s a really good route runner,” Brown said. “Guys early on in their career, like first year, Year 2, they’re still developing and he can run every route in the route tree. Just a little [nuances], little things that, of course, that we all can get better at. And just keep tuning up our game and keep developing. I think the sky’s the limit for Smitty. So, I’m excited for him Year 2. I’m excited for the steps he takes.”
DeVonta Smith certainly impressed a lot of people as a rookie in 2021. He had 64 receptions for 916 yards and five touchdowns, leading the Eagles in all three categories.
But the Eagles’ passing offense couldn’t go toe-to-toe against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the playoffs. The need for more offensive weapons was an offseason priority, and they made sure to address it.
Will A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith be the NFL’s best receiving duo in 2022?