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USC wide receiver Makai Lemon.

The ongoing saga between the Philadelphia Eagles and wide receiver A.J. Brown seemingly came to a close in the 1st round of the NFL draft, when the Eagles selected USC wide receiver and Biletnikoff Award winner Makai Lemon at No. 20 overall.

That the Eagles did so by trading up from No. 23 — and making the deal with the Dallas Cowboys — only seemed to underline the point.

In exchange for the No. 20 overall pick and a 7th round pick, the Cowboys received the No. 23 overall pick, plus the No. 114 overall pick and No. 137 overall pick.

It clears the way for the Eagles to trade Brown the moment the NFL’s June 1 deadline hits — presumably to the New England Patriots — although Eagles general manager Howie Roseman’s comments on Thursday night seemed like any offers for Brown might still be on the table.

“A.J. is a member of the Eagles,” Roseman said on Thursday after the end of the 1st round. “We don’t have any trades that have been made, or that are done. And I think for us, we’re taking this one day at a time. We’re going to look to improve the team tomorrow, and we’ll continue to address anything that we have to with our roster, not only through this draft weekend, but we’ll continue to look for ways to improve the team throughout the offseason, and as we get into training camp.”

Brown’s Time With Eagles Coming to End

Brown has been projected to go to the Patriots for what seems like the entire offseason, and it would reunite him with his head coach on the Tennessee Titans, Mike Vrabel, and team up with quarterback and NFL MVP runner-up Drake Maye.

The Eagles now appear to be headed into 2026 with a 1-2 wide receiver punch of veteran DeVonta Smith and Lemon, who was on the phone with the Pittsburgh Steelers when the Eagles called to tell him he was being drafted.

While Smith and Lemon will be counted on as the WR1 and WR2, they won’t be alone.

“The Eagles land another receiver: It’s USC’s Makai Lemon at No. 20 after an intra-NFC East trade with Dallas,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero wrote on his official X account. “They’ve now added Hollywood Brown, Dontayvion Wicks, Elijah Moore and Lemon, in the latest sign that A.J. Brown has probably played his last down for Philly.”

Mock Draft Correctly Predicted Lemon to Eagles

NFL.com’s Chad Reuter correctly predicted the Eagles would take Lemon in the 1st round — just at No. 23 instead of No. 20.

“Lemon is pegged as a slot receiver, but he can play outside just fine when DeVonta Smith works inside,” Reuter wrote. “This pick becomes even more important if A.J. Brown is dealt.”

In 2025, Lemon finally took the roof off with 79 receptions for 1,156 yards and 13 total touchdowns — 11 receiving and 2 rushing — in 12 games. There’s a world in which Lemon steps in and is a Top 10 NFL slot wide receiver from Day 1.

“Lemon is a plug-and-play, quarterback-friendly talent with first-round value and Pro Bowl upside,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote.