Over the next couple of weeks (basically whenever there isn't other news to cover), we'll take a look at every player on the Philadelphia Eagles' roster, and how they fit with the team heading into training camp. Today we'll look at the wide receivers.
Previous training camp previews
Quarterback | Running back
The depth chart:
1 2 3 4
A.J. Brown Johnny Wilson Danny Gray Elijah Cooks
DeVonta Smith Ainias Smith Terrace Marshall Darius Cooper
Jahan Dotson Avery Williams Giles Jackson Taylor Morin
A.J. Brown
Brown's first three seasons with the Eagles after they traded a first-round pick for him during the 2022 NFL Draft:
A.J. Brown Rec Yards YPC TD
2022 88 1496 17.0 11
2023 106 1456 13.7 7
2024 67 1079 16.1 7
2024 was something of a "down year" for Brown as he missed four games, and the passing game took a back seat to the Eagles' rushing attack. Still, he remains a top 5 type of receiver who is under contract through 2029.
As long as he stays healthy, Brown will be the focal point of the Eagles' passing game for the foreseeable future.
DeVonta Smith
Smith also missed four games in 2024, and he had the lowest receiving yardage total of his career:
DeVonta Smith Rec Yards YPC TD
2021 64 916 14.3 5
2022 95 1196 12.6 7
2023 81 1066 13.2 7
2024 68 833 12.3 8
He provided the dagger in the Super Bowl, catching a 46-yard TD that made the score 34-0 and all but put the Chiefs away. Smith is under contract through 2028.
As we noted earlier in the week, the Eagles are 41-10 when Brown and Smith both play in games. They should continue to be one of the best WR duos in the NFL.
Jahan Dotson
Late in the summer last year, the Eagles traded a third-round pick and a pair of seventh-round picks for Dotson and a fifth-round pick. During the regular season, Dotson made 19 catches on 33 targets for 216 yards and 0 TDs while playing 786 snaps. He got a lot of cardio work in, running clearouts for Brown and Smith.
We cut up all of Dotson's targets in 2024, and a whole lot of the incomplete targets were throwaways by Hurts that happened to be in the direction of Dotson. But on the rare occasions when the ball legitimately came his way, Dotson typically made the play.
Dotson did make some plays in the playoffs. He caught a TD pass on the opening drive against the Packers, and he saved his biggest play of the season for the Super Bowl, a deep pass that he hauled in inside the 1, that eventually became 7 points.
The Eagles acquired Dotson when training camp was wrapping up last season. He did not really get the opportunity to build trust and rapport with Hurts before the start of the season, and he was part of a receiving corps that included Brown, Smith, Dallas Goedert, and Saquon Barkley. Aside from the occasional bubble screen, the Eagles almost never drew up plays for Dotson. Perhaps a full offseason with the team will spur the Eagles to give him more looks, but certainly the passing offense is going to run through Brown, Smith, and Goedert, as always.
Dotson's best attribute coming out of college was his hands. He rarely dropped anything at Penn State. Oddly, he did have his fair share of drops in his first two seasons in the pros with Washington. If he can at least show that he will catch everything that he should catch, which he more or less did in 2024, he does kind of fit into this offense as a WR3 who won't demand a high target share but who can also keep opposing defenses honest.
Deeper dive into Dotson's 2024 season here.
Johnny Wilson
Wilson is a massive receiver at 6'6, 228 who carved out a dirty work role as a physical blocker his rookie season, though sometimes he was a little too aggressive, as he committed four penalties (3 holding, 1 OPI).
He wasn't much of a threat as a receiver, catching 5 passes for 38 yards and 1 TD. He played a little over 400 snaps, and actually started four games.
The Eagles will try to grow his Zach Pascal-like role in 2025, and he feels like a good bet to make the team again.
Ainias Smith
Smith had an awful start to training camp as a rookie, but he improved late in the summer and made the 53-man roster. He appeared in seven games, making 7 catches for 41 yards and a TD. He caught 4 passes for 35 yards and a TD from Tanner McKee in the Eagles' meaningless Week 18 game against the Giants.
The Eagles didn't seem to trust Smith in meaningful games last season, as they signed Parris Campbell to the 53-man roster for the playoffs. Campbell also returned punts for the Eagles Week 18 instead of Smith, which isn't a great sign for Smith's prospects as a return specialist.
Smith won't just be handed a job in 2025. He'll have to show that he can be a playable option to earn his way back onto the roster, and he'll have decent competition.
Avery Williams
Williams was a Falcons fifth-round pick in 2021. He played cornerback as a rookie in 2021, making 22 tackles, with 1 forced fumble. In 2022, the Falcons moved him to the other side of the ball, at running back. In three seasons, after the position change, Williams had 22 career carries, all in 2022, for 109 yards and 1 TD.
In 2024, Williams’ only role was on special teams. He was the Falcons’ primary kick returner and punt returner. He averaged 9.3 yards on 20 punt returns and 27.2 yards on 15 kick returns. The Eagles' primary return specialist in 2024 was Britain Covey, or at least he was before he suffered a neck injury. Covey signed with the Rams in free agency, and we know that Vic Fangio would prefer if someone other than Cooper DeJean returned punts this season.
Williams' best chance of sticking on the 53 will be show legitimate value as a returner. As for what position group he'll work with, the Eagles are having him try out at a new spot once again, as they list him at wide receiver. We did not get to see Williams participate in spring practices, as he was rehabbing an injury on a side field.
Interestingly, Nick Sirianni brought up Williams twice, unprompted, at the owners meetings in March.
"I can't say enough about Avery Williams and just what I think of him and things that we could do with him and what he's gonna bring to this football team, just really pumped," Sirianni said.
"We've got some time to figure it out, but obviously the things that he brings in special teams is huge."
"You know, again, I'm excited about all that he can bring, with the versatility he has offensively. And all the things that he can do. Again, just my interaction with him was top notch, and I'm really excited to start working with him."
Williams is perhaps an interesting player to keep an eye on this summer.
Danny Gray
Gray was a 49ers third-round pick in 2022. The Eagles seem to love former Niners third-round busts, as they have also previously signed TE Cameron Latu, RB Tyrion Davis-Price, and RB Trey Sermon.
Gray played in 13 games for the Niners as a rookie, mostly on special teams. He had 1 catch on 7 targets for 10 yards. He spent 2023 on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.
In 2024, Gray did not make the Niners' 53-man roster, and he spent the season on the Eagles' practice squad.
Gray made about a half dozen catches during one of the media-attended spring practices, and also got kick return reps. He has 4.33 speed, and is something of a sleeper to make the roster if he can stand out on special teams. This is the type of player that a guy like Ainias Smith has to worry about.
Terrace Marshall
Marshall was a 2021 second-round pick (59th overall) by the Carolina Panthers. He played three years in Carolina before getting waived at 53-man cutdowns. Marshall then joined the 49ers' practice squad, before getting cut again, and landing with the Raiders. His career stats:
Terrace Marshall Rec Yards YPC TD
2021 (CAR) 17 138 8.1 0
2022 (CAR) 28 490 17.5 1
2023 (CAR) 19 139 7.3 0
2024 (LV) 3 41 13.7 0
Marshall is 6'3 and he ran a 4.4 flat at the 2021 Combine. He also has other appealing athletic measurables.
When he was released by the Panthers after 2024 training camp, GM Dan Morgan referenced his lack of contributions on special teams (via Schuyler Callihan of SI):
"I had a few teams call me and ask me about Terrace and obviously, I think the world of Terrace. Not only a great person, but he had a great camp. He did everything that we asked out there. I think those types of cuts, they're always tough, they're always challenging. It was right there at the end where we were kind of deciding if we were going to keep him or not. Special teams really comes into play and Terrace hasn't really been a special teams ace for us and that played a big role in our decision to ultimately release him. I wish him nothing but the best. I think he's going to do great and I wish him success where he's at."
Marshall had a nice spring. He was active and made a bunch of catches. But, if he's going to make the roster, he'll need to have a stellar camp, and even then he'd be the WR4, at best. If you're a WR4, you're playing special teams, so Marshall is going to have to embrace that part of the game.
Elijah Cooks
Cooks has appeared in 11 NFL games, all with the Jaguars. He has three career catches for 38 yards. He's a big receiver, at 6'4, 215.
Darius Cooper
Cooper is an undrafted rookie from Tarleton State. The Eagles list him at 5'11, 210. In 2024, Cooper had 76 catches for 1450 yards (19.1 YPC) and 16 TDs. He ran a 4.49 at his pro day.
Taylor Morin
Morin is an undrafted rookie who played six seasons at Wake Forest, with modest receiving production. He did average 17.0 yards as a punt returner in 2024, with one house call.
His best hope is probably to stick on the practice squad as an emergency punt returner.
Giles Jackson
Jackson was a tryout player at an Eagles rookie minicamp in May who got signed to the 90-man roster. He played six season in college (2 with Michigan, 4 with Washington). His best season was in 2024, when he had 85 catches for 893 yards and 7 TDs. The Eagles list him at 5'9, 187.