Eagles draft: Could the team add receiving depth behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith?

Surprise! The Eagles aren’t going into this year’s draft with the need for a top wide receiver.

A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, two of the most important pieces of the Super Bowl champion offense, aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. The receivers are under contract through 2029 and 2028, respectively.

But the depth at the position is suspect. Jahan Dotson, whom the Eagles acquired at the end of the preseason, was a nonfactor for most of the year until the playoffs. He has one year remaining on his contract, but general manager Howie Roseman must decide whether he will pick up his fifth-year option by May 1. That prospect is unlikely, seeing as his salary in 2026 would balloon to $16.8 million.

That’s not to say Dotson can’t be part of the Eagles’ future, especially if he picks up in 2025 where he left off at the end of the postseason. If he doesn’t (or maybe if he plays too well and earns himself a payday elsewhere), there are some question marks about the future of the WR3 spot.

Ainias Smith, the 2024 fifth-round pick out of Texas A&M, hardly got on the field in his rookie season. Johnny Wilson, the 2024 sixth-rounder out of Florida State, didn’t earn a whole lot more opportunity. When he did, though, he was prone to dropping the football, leading receivers with a minimum of 16 targets in drop percentage (28.6%), according to Pro Football Focus. The Eagles added another depth receiver into the fold on Thursday, signing Terrace Marshall Jr. to a one-year deal.

The WR3 role hasn’t been one of much importance for the Eagles lately. This class of receivers is considered below average overall. But if Roseman decides he wants fresh blood at the position, here’s what the 2025 draft class has to offer:

Travis Hunter, Colorado

Is he a wide receiver? Is he a cornerback? That’s up for his future NFL team to decide. What isn’t up for debate is that Hunter is one of the best players available in this year’s draft, if not the best player.

The 2024 Heisman winner doesn’t have a hulking frame, measuring in at 6-foot, 188 pounds (36th and 20th percentiles among receivers, respectively, according to MockDraftable). But he has the ball skills to make up for his size, especially when it comes to his strength on contested catches.

Per PFF, the 21-year-old Hunter never dropped a pass on a contested target in his two seasons at Colorado and one year at Jackson State combined. He had a drop rate of just 1.5% over his two years at Colorado (including the postseason).

Hunter had 15 receiving touchdowns in 2024, tied for second most in the FBS. As good as he was at either position in college, he has the potential to ascend once he specializes at the pro level. He’s in contention to be the first overall pick.

Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona

Speaking of hulking frames, McMillan has got one. The 6-foot-4, 219-pound receiver is on the other end of the size spectrum from Hunter, ranking in the 94th percentile in height and 87th in weight among receivers, per MockDraftable.

College cornerbacks struggled to contain McMillan. He is the only FBS receiver with at least 1,300 receiving yards in each of the last two seasons (1,319, No. 3 in 2024; 1,402, No. 5 in 2023). Given his catch radius, he is also particularly adept at winning those 50-50 balls. The 22-year-old McMillan caught 35 contested catches over the last two seasons, according to PFF, which are the most in the FBS in that span.

Can that dominance against college cornerbacks translate to the NFL level against stiffer competition? That remains to be seen. Regardless, McMillan is a likely Day 1 pick, with the potential to come off the board in the top 10.

Luther Burden III, Missouri

Going into the 2024 season, Burden was all but a Day 1 lock. The 6-foot, 206-pound slot receiver was prolific in 2023, gaining 1,209 receiving yards (No. 9 in FBS) and posting 14.1 yards per catch (No. 5 among receivers with at least 120 targets). He was dangerous with the ball in his hands, ranking third in the FBS in yards after the catch, according to PFF.

But 2024 was a different story. Theo Wease, the 23-year-old graduate student who transferred to Missouri in 2023, was the go-to guy in the Tigers offense. Burden was nonexistent in some games, finishing the year with 676 yards and six touchdowns on 61 receptions (he also rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries).

While he wasn’t as productive in 2024 as he was in 2023, the talent is still there. Burden possesses an enticing blend of strength and speed (4.41-second 40-yard dash at the combine) that will make him a coveted Day 1 or Day 2 pick.

Matthew Golden, Texas

If Burden’s stock is slipping, Golden’s is rising. The 5-11, 191-pounder transferred from Houston to Texas last season and saw his career reach new heights. Golden, an adept route-runner, was one of quarterback Quinn Ewers’ favorite targets, making 58 catches for a team-high 987 yards and nine touchdowns in 16 games.

His performance in the 40 at the combine helped catapult him into the first-round conversation. Golden, 21, ran a 4.29, the best time among receivers and the second-best among all participants. His production in 2024 is relatively low compared wih most first-round wide receivers in recent years, but his upside could make him a Day 1 selection.

Let’s be real — if the Eagles are going to add a receiver, they would do so on Day 3 or in undrafted free agency given their more pressing needs at other positions. Here are some options who could make sense in that range:

Pat Bryant, Illinois

Bryant, 22, is a true jack-of-all-trades receiver. Illinois’ leading pass-catcher in 2024 as a senior (984 receiving yards, 10 touchdowns), the 6-foot-2, 204-pound Bryant possesses the versatility to line up on the outside (76.8% of pass snaps in 2024, per PFF) or in the slot (21.4% of pass snaps).

He isn’t going to beat many corners with speed, as evidenced by his 4.61 40-yard dash at the combine. But he is savvy enough to win off the line of scrimmage with his releases to help him create separation. Bryant has great ball skills and strong hands, displaying a sense of physicality when making contested catches (69.2% contested catch rate in 2024, according to PFF). He’s a willing run blocker, too.

What makes him an intriguing projection as a WR3 with continued development is his reliability. PFF credited Bryant with just one drop on 78 targets in 2024. Jalen Hurts touts the importance of trust with his receivers and Bryant could earn it if given the chance.

Dont’e Thornton Jr., Tennessee

If the Eagles are looking for a true big-play deep threat to add to the receiving corps, they ought to consider the 22-year-old Thornton. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound receiver ran a blazing 4.3 40-yard dash at the combine, which ranked second among receivers and fourth overall. That speed shows up on go balls and post routes, which comprised roughly 40% of his route tree, according to SumerSports.

Despite his combination of size and speed, he isn’t a bruising YAC generator. On Day 3 of the draft, it’s important that players do at least one thing really well, and for Thornton, it’s those vertical routes and his ability to breeze past defensive backs. There isn’t much variety with him otherwise.

Thornton didn’t have a ton of usage in Tennessee’s offense over the course of two seasons (transferred from Oregon in 2023), making a total of 39 receptions for 885 yards and seven touchdowns. He is a project with lots of potential, but at this point in the draft, so are many of his peers in this class.

Da’Quan Felton, Virginia Tech

Saquon Barkley would approve of this addition. The 6-foot-5, 213-pound Felton is considered one of the better blocking receivers, both in the run game and in the screen game, in this year’s draft class. He was a boon to the Hokies’ rushing attack, which was the most prolific aspect of its offense by a mile.

Felton’s production was underwhelming in 2024 (32 receptions for 360 yards and two touchdowns), in part because of Virginia Tech’s run-heavy offense and its quarterback struggles. He has plenty of improvement to make, too, as he is unrefined as a route-runner and susceptible to drops (13.5% drop rate on on-target throws in 2024, per PFF).

He has the athletic tools that ought to make him another compelling project, but it’s worth noting that he is 24 years old, which could be a turn-off to some teams. Still, Felton’s 4.5 40 at the combine was no small feat for a receiver his size. If he can add some polish to his game, he could become a formidable vertical threat.