Eagles showing interest in popular draft prospect who has strong connection to WR A.J. Brown
The Eagles may have to replace A.J. Brown during the 2026 NFL Draft. Could a potential sleeper be on their radar to improve their offense?
The 2026 NFL Draft is just around the corner, and the Philadelphia Eagles have plenty of work to do. They’re prepping in these weeks ahead, and an intriguing wide receiver prospect is on their radar.
He’s a popular player right now, though, so the competition for the SEC playmaker is set to be fierce.
Eagles potentially targeting rising WR prospect for day two of draft
According to Jeremy Fowler, the Eagles have a pre-draft meeting with Ole Miss WR De’Zhaun Stribling.
Of course, A.J. Brown was also drafted out of Ole Miss. Stribling is actually a bit bigger than Brown, but his fluidity and explosiveness at his size have drawn comparisons to Brown at times during the draft process.
Stribling is a big-bodied receiver prospect who continues to climb in prospect rankings and mock drafts. He has strong hands at his size and had just a 1.8% drop rate during the 2025 season.
He’s a fluid mover at his size, showing off better speed than you would expect in-game. The Eagles could use more of that. Stribling also uses his frame effectively in contested catch scenarios and made some great plays along the sideline during his final season in college with the Rebels.
Stribling’s “underrated” title may be wearing off as the draft approaches, though. He used to be a steal in mock draft scenarios, often going domwetime in the middle of day three. Now, you can expect him to be picked sometime late on day two. The Eagles may need to invest a third-round pick in Stribling to ensure they get him.
Josh Taylor echoed Stribling’s praises earlier this month as well.
“Stribing has the perfect blend of speed, body control, and physicality that translates to the NFL, and I have no idea why he’s not getting more hype. He’s had 800+ yards and six touchdowns each of the last two seasons, and averaged 14.5+ yards per catch as well. Stribling is projected to go in the late fourth or early fifth round, and I’d easily take him at No. 147 overall if he falls.” — Josh Taylor, A to Z Sports Washington
While I see other needs as more important for Philly in the first round, taking a WR sometime in between rounds two and four is a must for Howie Roseman. We will see if Stribling is the prospect they lock into during that time frame.
