AJ Brown
Getty
AJ Brown could land with the Patriots in 2026.
The Los Angeles Chargers are locked in on the 2026 NFL Draft.
An underrated part of the draft process is trades. Teams will not only move up and down the order, but some will also deal their players. Trades also ramp up after the draft is over as teams begin to piece their rosters together for offseason activities.
Los Angeles Chargers Named Among Best Fits for Philadelphia Eagles WR A.J. Brown
With all the rumors of Brown being on the trade block, Matt Okada of NFL.com named a handful of teams who Brown would fit best with. The Chargers were among them, and Okada put together this blockbuster trade package:
Chargers receive Brown, 2027 4th-round pick
Eagles receive 2026 first-round pick (No. 22), WR Quentin Johnston
Okada explained why he feels that Los Angeles needs a clear-cut No. 1 receiver.
“They’ve taken a wideout in the top 55 picks in each of the last three drafts, and Tre Harris (No. 55 overall in 2025), Ladd McConkey (No. 34 in 2024) and Quentin Johnston (No. 21 in 2023) theoretically comprise a better starting trio than that put forth by a sizable chunk of other teams around the NFL. However, not one of those players was consistently excellent last season, and Los Angeles finished the 2025 campaign without a single player surpassing 800 receiving yards, while veteran Keenan Allen — currently unsigned — led the way in receptions, with 81. Johnston is also entering the final year of his rookie deal, and the front office must decide by May 1 whether or not to exercise his $18 million fifth-year option for 2027.”
How Would A.J. Brown Fit Into Chargers’ Offense?
Eagles WR AJ Brown
GettyEagles WR A.J. Brown
Okada continued to explain why he feels Brown would fit well in Los Angeles.
“Brown is a solid fit for new OC Mike McDaniel’s offense, which has historically thrived on in-breaking routes. Brown logged the sixth-most receiving yards over expected on such routes last season, per NGS. Also, under McDaniel in 2025, the Dolphins accumulated 57.6 percent of their passing yards after the catch (third-most in the NFL) — another dangerous aspect of Brown’s game. He would be a threat at every level for Justin Herbert — opening the offense up like it was early in the QB’s career — and give the front office the freedom to offload Johnston. It doesn’t hurt that the Chargers currently have the third-most salary cap space in the league, giving them the leeway to pick up the veteran receiver’s sizeable salary.”
Scheme-wise, there’s little doubt that Brown would flourish in McDaniel’s system. However, in this writer’s opinion, this isn’t a great deal for the Chargers. Having to surrender both their first-round pick and Johnston is too steep of a price to pay. If it were only one or the other, that would change things.
Secondly, Brown is four years older than Johnston. Brown is the better player, but the gap isn’t huge. Johnston has actually caught one more touchdown (22) than Brown (21) over the past three seasons. Finally, unless Johnston really takes his game to the next level, Brown will require a bigger financial commitment. When you also factor in Los Angeles would be left with just four selections in this year’s draft if it acquired Brown, it just doesn’t move the needle enough to make this deal.