The Philadelphia Eagles took a massive swing in acquiring receiver A.J. Brown from the Tennessee Titans last year, and it turned out to be a home run.
Brown was simply outstanding in his first season in Philadelphia, and his fourth in the NFL. The 25-year-old set new career-highs with 88 receptions for 1,496 yards and tied his career-high with 11 touchdowns. He was a second-team All-Pro selection and helped take the Eagles’ offense to another level in 2022.
Brown was great all-around, but he particularly excelled when running a certain route. According to PFF, Brown was the best receiver in the NFL last season when running slant routes.
“A.J. Brown has the combination of size (6-foot-1 and 226 pounds) and speed that allows him to slip through tackles with apparent ease,” PFF writes. “The Eagles used this to their advantage by featuring Brown on slant routes last year, and he was a nightmare to cover. The fourth-year wideout saw 34 targets on slants last year — 10 more than any other player at the position — and he caught 26 of them for a position-leading 386 yards. In all, 19 of his slant catches went for a first down, and he turned 10 into explosive gains of 15 or more yards. He finished the year averaging 7.72 yards per route run on slants, a full yard more than the next-closest wide receiver.”
According to PFF, Brown finished the season with a grade of 97 on slant routes, easily the best in the league. Cleveland Browns receiver Amari Cooper placed second with a grade of 93.7, while Buffalo Bills receiver Stefon Diggs took third with a
Additionally, Brown earned the second-highest grade on go routes with a grade of 96.6. He finished behind Carolina Panthers receiver Terrence Marshall Jr. (97.1), but ahead of Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Mike Evans (95.1).
Brown’s proficiency on these routes will be something to consider as he enters Year 2 with the Eagles hoping to replicate last season’s success.
Jonathan Alfano:
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