The Philadelphia Eagles made a significant change at wide receiver this offseason, moving on from AJ Brown.

While Brown was undeniably one of the best receivers in Eagles history, producing a couple of the finest seasons any Philadelphia pass catcher has ever put together, his departure leaves a void that DeVonta Smith and a retooled receiving corps will need to fill for quarterback Jalen Hurts.

The question facing Philadelphia is straightforward: can Smith and a group of complementary pieces replace Brown’s production and impact?

DeVonta Smith is built for the moment

Smith has all the tools to thrive as the Eagles’ No. 1 receiver. He is a former Heisman winner who has won at every level and remains one of the best receivers to come out of college in the last decade. He catches everything, carries no ego, and brings zero distraction to the locker room.

That last part matters.

Brown was a tremendous talent, but his frustrations bled into the locker room at the worst possible times. When Philadelphia started 4-0 last season and still had to deal with a receiver unhappy about his target share, it created tension and gave off selfish vibes. That is something the Eagles simply could not afford.

Smith is the opposite. There is no expectation of drama, no sideshow, no noise. He has waited in the shadows for this opportunity, and now he steps into the spotlight.

There was a quote from June that stuck out. They said Smith can have a Jaxon Smith-Njigba type of season. That feels like the ceiling for the Eagles’ new No. 1 target. Look at what happened in Seattle when the Seahawks moved on from DK Metcalf. The guy waiting behind the star stepped up and produced.

Smith can do the same thing. 1,500-plus yards for Smith this season is a very real outcome.

The rest of the receiving corps

Beyond Smith, the Eagles have assembled an intriguing group, even if the depth chart still has some questions attached to it.

Rookie Makai Lemon, the team’s top draft pick, has been banged up for the majority of training camp. Philadelphia only got one preseason game out of him, and it was not a great showing. The expectation should be tempered.

Lemon probably will not come around until Week 4 or 5. He will be on the field before then, but where will the production be? He is way behind when it comes to reps.

Dontayvion Wicks is a name to watch closely. He is a Sean Mannion guy, and the new offensive coordinator likely advocated for bringing him to Philadelphia. From the sounds of it, Wicks has been ripping it up in camp. If he can develop into a 700-yard contributor, the Eagles are in a comfortable position alongside Smith.

Meanwhile, the contrast with New England’s Romeo Doubs was impossible to ignore on opening night. Dobbs, making $17 million per year, dropped a ball wide open with nobody within 10 yards of him and finished with zero catches. The Eagles got the other guy in Wicks, and early returns suggest that could work out just fine.

Darius Cooper rounds out the group as another piece in the puzzle. Philadelphia has a collection of receivers who can be productive, even if the star power behind Smith is not immediately obvious.

The Eagles will be fine

The lost production from Brown is real, and nobody should pretend otherwise.

But the drama that came with it was equally real. Smith stepping into the No. 1 role with a clean slate, no distractions, and the full trust of the coaching staff gives Philadelphia a path forward that might be smoother than people expect.

I think the Eagles will be fine. Smith is the engine now, and if Wicks can provide legitimate secondary production, this receiving corps has a chance to exceed the modest expectations being placed on it.