Eagles Stay or Go 2025: Which WRs after top 2 stay? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Reuben Frank and Dave Zangaro bring back Stay or Go in 2025, trying to figure out the futures of every Eagles player on the roster.
We already took a look at quarterback and running back.
Up today: Receiver
A.J. Brown
Roob: Three years after Howie Roseman pulled off that magical draft-day heist with the Titans, Brown is on the fast track to becoming the greatest wide receiver in Eagles history. He may already be there. His 86 yards per game is by far the highest in franchise history among players who spent more than 1 ½ seasons with the Eagles and didn’t get suspended and do sit-ups in their driveway. He’s already tied with Quick, DeSean Jackson and Harold Carmichael for most 1,000-yard seasons in franchise history, and in just 47 games he’s already 14th in franchise history in yards. The answer to this one should be “Stays” for years to come.
Verdict: Stays
Dave: Because he missed a few games in 2024, his numbers weren’t as gaudy as the previous two years but Brown was just as good this season and still managed to go over 1,000 yards in 13 games. Despite a knee injury late in the season, Brown had a huge NFC Championship Game and caught a touchdown in Super Bowl LIX. Brown is already one of the best receivers in franchise history and we are watching the prime of a career that could get Brown to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Even though the Eagles went to a run-heavy offense this season, there’s no denying that Brown is one of the most talented players whenever the Eagles take the field.
Verdict: Stays
Parris Campbell
Roob: When all was said and done Campbell caught just six passes for 30 yards and a touchdown (with the Eagles already down 24-0 to the Bucs) in 164 snaps over eight games and didn’t have a catch after Week 4. It was a great idea, picking up a former 2nd-round pick at minimum wage with a great attitude and familiarity with Nick Sirianni from their days together with the Colts. It just never translated into production.
Verdict: Goes
Dave: I give a lot of credit to Campbell for swallowing his pride and agreeing to join the Eagles’ practice squad after final cuts in August. He ended up playing in five games in the regular season and then was on the roster for the playoff run. Campbell is still just 27 and he will have a chance to stick around in a similar role in 2025, a fringe roster guy who’s worth keeping around on the practice squad because of his experience.
Verdict: Goes
Elijah Cooks
Roob: OK, full disclosure, I had no idea who Elijah Cooks was until I came across his name on this list. Cooks spent a week on the Eagles’ practice squad before getting cut and then re-signed to a futures contract. Cooks has good size at 6-4, 215 and caught three passes with the Jaguars in 2023 playing for Doug Pederson. I assume we’ll get a look at Cooks at training camp, but he remains the longest of long shots for a roster spot.
Verdict: Goes
Dave: Cooks was brought back on a futures contract after the season ended and he’ll get a chance to come to training camp and fight for a roster spot. He’s a huge receiver at 6-4, 215 pounds and has minimal experience (11 games with the Jaguars). He’s a longshot to make the roster.
Verdict: Goes
Britain Covey
Roob: I still think the Eagles would rather have Covey returning punts than Cooper DeJean, although doing double duty certainly didn’t affect DeJean in a negative way this year. He was fine returning punts and obviously played at an all-pro level in the slot. The question is do the Eagles want to devote a valuable spot on the 53 for a guy who is only returning punts? The Eagles do seem to like Covey as a slot receiver but is he going to make enough of an impact to be worth keeping? Tough call. I think the benefit of getting DeJean off punt returns means Covey will be here for a third season.
Verdict: Stays
Dave: Covey was limited to just five games in 2024 because of injuries. He began practicing again late in the season but his neck injury wouldn’t allow him to return. Without Covey, rookie Cooper DeJean handled punt return duties and did a good job, but we know that Vic Fangio isn’t a fan of DeJean having that extra workload. The Eagles would probably rather have Covey handle those duties if he can stay healthy. In 2023, Covey averaged 14.4 yards per punt return and was one of the best in the league. That type of production is worth a roster spot even if Covey doesn’t factor into the Eagles’ plans on offense.
Verdict: Stays
Jahan Dotson
Roob: I really admire the way Dotson handled this year. He seemed like a forgotten man at times after the Eagles sent a 3rd-round pick to Washington for the former 1st-round pick. During one 11-game stretch from the first Giants game through the second Cowboys game he had 10 targets and six catches and you just wondered if he was ever going to make an impact. But he had such a positive attitude throughout the whole season and never lost confidence in himself and when the ball came his way in high-leverage situations in the playoffs he came up huge, with a touchdown against the Packers and then two catches for 42 yards in the Super Bowl, including a 27-yarder down to the 1-yard-line to set up the Eagles’ first touchdown. Dotson is under contract for 2025 and I expect good things from him with a full offseason and training camp with Jalen Hurts and in Sirianni’s offense.
Verdict: Stays
Dave: The Eagles didn’t throw the ball to Dotson very much in 2024. They traded away a third-round pick as a part of the deal to get Dotson from the Commanders before the start of 2024 but he caught just 19 passes for 216 yards in his first season with the Eagles. Based on that production, it seems like a disappointing season for Dotson. But every time the Eagles did throw the ball Dotson’s way, he made a play. That includes his 27-yard catch down to the 1-yard line to set up the first touchdown in Super Bowl LIX. Dotson will enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2025 and will be on the roster.
Verdict: Stays
Danny Gray
Roob: Gray, a former 3rd-round pick of the 49ers, spent the year on the Eagles’ practice squad, and that tells you there’s something the Eagles like about him. Whether that means he’s got any sort of realistic shot to make the team I doubt.
Verdict: Goes
Dave: Gray is one of the under-the-radar players I’m looking forward to getting a long look at during training camp. The former third-round pick from SMU has track speed. He ran a 4.33 at the Combine a few years ago and has the ability to stretch the field. Often, cheap speed doesn’t work out, but it’s a fun trait to watch during spring and summer practices.
Verdict: Goes
Ainias Smith
Roob: There were a few times this year where the Eagles tried to get Smith going with jet sweeps to highlight his speed, but we didn’t really see much from him until the meaningless Giants game at the end of the season, when he looked comfortable with four catches for 35 yards and a 15-yard touchdown catch from Tanner McKee. Smith probably needs an exceptional training camp to survive final roster cuts, but he’d be a likely practice squad addition if he doesn’t make the team.
Verdict: Goes
Dave: On the fence about this one. I was high on Smith when the Eagles used a fifth-round pick on him out of Texas A&M. But then Smith was coming off an injury and got off to a really rough start in training camp. He ended up starting to turn a corner and then landed on IR. In his rookie season, he played in 7 games and had 7 catches for 41 yards and a touchdown. He’ll need to show a lot of improvement this summer to stick on the roster so this one is a bit of a gut feel, but I think he does that.
Verdict: Stays
DeVonta Smith
Roob: Smith fought injuries during the regular season, missed four games and was limited in a few others and fell short of his third straight 1,000-yard season. But once the playoffs came around, he was his usual self, catching at least four passes in all four games and making big catch after big catch, including that 46-yard dagger from Jalen Hurts in the third quarter of the Super Bowl. Smith’s numbers in four NFL seasons are very good, but he’s better than the numbers show. He makes every big catch, every contested catch, every challenging catch. The only WR in NFL history with more postseason catches in his first four years is Ja’Marr Chase and at 26 he’s already got the most postseason yards in Eagles history. If a guy with 351 catches, 4,606 yards and 29 touchdowns in his first four seasons can be underrated, Smith is underrated.
Verdict: Stays
Dave: Like Brown, Smith also missed some time this season but ended up healthy when it mattered most. His 46-yard touchdown catch from Jalen Hurts in Super Bowl LIX was the dagger. Sometimes it’s easy to forget just how good Smith is because Brown is one of the best receivers in the NFL. But Smith has the talent to be a No. 1 receiver and would be in that role for plenty of teams in the NFL. In 2024, Smith had 68 catches for 833 yards and 8 touchdowns. Smith has never been a Pro Bowler or an All-Pro but he’s also one of the Eagles best and most trusted players.
Verdict: Stays
Johnny Wilson
Roob: Wilson played 369 snaps in the regular season and 39 in the postseason. Why would a guy who caught just five passes for 38 yards play so much? Because he’s an elite blocker and really made a difference in ways that stats don’t measure. It’s rare to find a young receiver who is such a willing blocker and such an effective one, but Wilson loves it, and his blocking ability is why he was on the active roster all year as a rookie 6th-round pick. Wilson will have to become more reliable as a pass catcher to stick around for the long term. He only caught five of 15 targets this year. But he’s got a unique skill and one that the Eagles value and that gives him a chance.
Verdict: Stays
Dave: The sixth-round pick from Florida State carved out a role on offense in 2024, mostly as a blocking receiver. That’s a role that is important to Nick Sirianni and Wilson was able to handle those duties well. He wasn’t very productive with just 5 catches for 38 yards and a touchdown in 2024 and he dropped his only target in the Super Bowl, but the Eagles showed that they trusted Wilson this past season. With his unique role, his roster spot is feeling pretty safe in 2025.
Verdict: Stays
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