Patriots' AJ Brown Falls in Preseason Ranking, But He's Still Strong
A.J. Brown may have slipped a few spots in this year’s rankings, dropping from No. 5 to No. 9 in ESPN’s survey of NFL executives, coaches, and scouts, but let’s not get carried away.
He’s still one of the best wide receivers in football. Rankings move around, narratives change and the NFL always loves a new storyline, but Brown’s talent hasn’t suddenly disappeared.
After his recent trade from the Philadelphia Eagles to the New England Patriots, Brown enters a new chapter with something to prove, even though he’s already proven plenty. There has been plenty of discussion surrounding his time in Philadelphia and whether he has lost a step, but the reality is much simpler: he’s still a scary matchup for defensive backs.
NFL evaluators clearly see that, as Brown appeared on roughly half of the ballots. That’s a strong reminder that people around the league understand what he brings every game. He’s not just a receiver who puts up numbers; he’s the kind of player who changes how a defense has to line up before the ball is even snapped.
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“He changes the coverages people play, everything will be rolled his way, and it will lighten the box for Josh [McDaniels] to really get the run game going,” a coordinator told ESPN. “He gives them run-after-catch explosion and isolation down the field on 50-50 plays that they didn’t have.”
Since entering the NFL in 2019, no player has more catches (88) or receiving yards (1,812) on tight-window throws, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. That stat says a lot about Brown’s game. He doesn’t need perfect conditions.
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He’s physical, he’s explosive and he’s one of the toughest receivers in the league to cover. The Patriots aren’t getting a player who needs to rediscover who he is. They’re getting a proven star who still has plenty left in the tank.
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This story was originally published July 15, 2026 at 1:32 PM.