Three years before pulling off a massive draft-day trade to acquire A.J. Brown from the Tennessee Titans, the Philadelphia Eagles passed on a chance to either draft the wideout in the first round or trade up and select him in the second round.
We now appear to have some insight into why that may be.
According to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Brown had a medical red flag on the Eagles' draft board as he came out of Ole Miss in the 2019 NFL Draft:
"Brown received a medical red flag by the Eagles before the 2019 draft, NFL sources familiar with the team’s draft strategy said. It remains unclear why, but he did miss time with knee sprains in college, although he never suffered significant injuries."
While the Eagles seemingly did harbor some concerns about Brown's durability, McLane notes that he wasn't removed from their draft board. In fact, he was the No. 2 ranked wide receiver on their board, behind only Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, who the Baltimore Ravens selected with the No. 25 overall pick.
Marquise was also traded on Day 1 of the 2022 NFL Draft, with the Ravens sending him and a third-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for the No. 23 overall pick. The Eagles very easily could have made that trade if they still viewed Marquise as a better long-term bet than A.J.
Instead, the Eagles sent the No. 18 overall pick and a third-round pick to the Titans to acquire Brown. On the way in the door, Brown received a four-year/$100 million deal with $57 million guaranteed. Not set to turn 25 until June, Brown has 185 receptions for 2,995 yards and 24 touchdowns in three seasons.
Whatever medical concerns that Howie Roseman and the Eagles once had about Brown have evidently dissipated.
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