Though this may be the quiet part of the NFL offseason, there are still some things to look forward to. One of those things is the lists that either NFL Network or ESPN drop in the summer, ranking the players as a whole or by position. For ESPN, they usually do a ranking system by position, and a New England Patriot found himself in the top 10 of a list this season.
A.J. Brown was ranked as the No. 5 receiver in the league last season, and this year, he sits at No. 9, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
“Drama from his time with the Eagles and the perceived half-step of decline aside, Brown is still a top-10 receiver. NFL evaluators recognize that, as he appeared on around half the ballots. Just listen to how one coordinator describes how Brown will help New England in 2026,” Fowler wrote.
Brown did have a down season by his standards last year, but if you ask him, he'll probably say it wasn't his fault. There was a lot wrong with the Philadelphia Eagles' offense last season, and Brown barely got the ball to his liking.
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The hope is that changes this season with the Patriots, and under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, he could have a big season. In Davante Adams' first season with McDaniels, he had 100 catches for 1,516 yards and 14 touchdowns. Brown is capable of putting up those numbers, and that could take the Patriots to another level.
His down season shouldn't be overblown, because he's still been one of the top receivers in the league since 2019, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
“No player has more catches (88) and receiving yards (1,812) on tight-window passes (less than 1 yard of separation from defender at arrival of the pass) since entering the NFL in 2019 than Brown, per NFL Next Gen Stats,” Fowler wrote.
Though this may be the quiet part of the NFL offseason, there are still some things to look forward to. One of those things is the lists that either NFL Network or ESPN drop in the summer, ranking the players as a whole or by position. For ESPN, they usually do a ranking system by position, and a New England Patriot found himself in the top 10 of a list this season.