The Philadelphia Eagles deploy one of the most fierce wide receiver duos in the NFL in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.
Yet, you could argue that wide receiver will be the team's fiercest position battle when training camp arrives next month.
The Eagles' starters at the position are entrenched, with Jahan Dotson joining Brown and Smith in three-wide sets. From there, it’s a total crapshoot. Gadget WR/RB Avery Williams feels like a roster lock due to his prowess on special teams. That leaves young players like Ainias Smith, Johnny Wilson, Danny Gray and Terrace Marshall battling for the remaining one or two spots on the 53-man roster.
This is one of those position battles that could come down to the final preseason game. But ESPN’s Aaron Schatz recently predicted a twist — in the form of Philly adding one of Joe Burrow’s former favorite slot receivers.
Schatz urged the Eagles to replace Dotson with Tyler Boyd, a highly-productive receiver during his Cincinnati Bengals tenure who is still looking for an NFL team for 2025. Here was Schatz’s take:
One thing the Eagles could use is more depth at the wide receiver position, particularly a slot receiver who can open underneath and convert third downs. Keenan Allen would fit, but we have him going to the Dolphins, so how about Boyd?
Boyd had just 39 catches for 390 yards with Tennessee last season, but he was an important part of the Bengals' offense from 2016 to 2023. Jahan Dotson feels like he's in a better position to be productive in his second season in the Eagles' offense, but Boyd would provide a strong backup in case Dotson is not.
Schatz is hardly the first to suggest that the Eagles should find an upgrade at WR3. Dotson only caught 19 passes during the 2024 regular season, and seven of them came in Week 18, with Tanner McKee playing quarterback and Philly resting its top starters for the playoffs. The Eagles also declined Dotson’s fifth-year option this summer, leading to speculation that his days in Philly are numbered.
That may be true, but the Eagles probably don’t share the same concerns over their wide receiver depth.
Dotson was only targeted 33 times last season. It would be hard for any receiver to post respectable numbers with that kind of volume. That comes with the territory in Nick Sirianni’s offense. Whether it’s Boyd or Dotson in 2025, Philly’s WR3 will take a backseat to Brown, Smith, tight end Dallas Goedert, and even running backs Saquon Barkley and Will Shipley in the passing game. Oh, and Philly attempted the fewest passes of all 32 teams during their 2024 Super Bowl run.
Dotson fills a specific role for the Eagles. He’s cheap, doesn’t complain about targets, shows up when his number is callled, and is now entering his second season working with Jalen Hurts.
Boyd offers some intriguing upside, as fans might remember his back-to-back 100-target, 1,000-yard seasons with Burrow in Cincinnati. But an “upgrade” at WR3 over Dotson is unlikely to move the needle for this Eagles offense.
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