Even without A.J. Brown, the battle for roster spots at wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2026 is going to be a knock-down, drag-out fight.
It’s going to be competitive enough that someone like 6-foot-6, 231-pound 3rd year wide receiver and Super Bowl champion Johnny Wilson already seems like he could be the odd man out — although 1 Eagles insider believes the team shouldn’t be so hasty in cutting him loose.
Wilson won a Super Bowl as a rookie in 2024, but missed all of 2025 with knee and ankle injuries suffered during preseason practices, which required season-ending surgery.
In a recent video posted to the Eagles’ official social media accounts of offseason workouts, Wilson appeared to be moving at close to full strength again.
“Johnny Wilson squatting and moving well,” Philly Special’s Anthony DiBona wrote on his official X account on Wednesday. “I’m not sure that Wilson’s roster spot is even guaranteed given Philadelphia’s revamped WR room, but I believe that the Eagles running game really missed his blocking ability last season.”
Wilson Seemed Poised to Become WR4 Option
Wilson looked like he was going to tap into at least some of his major upside before his injury — and at that point didn’t seem in danger of being cut as had been rumored throughout the offseason.
When he got hurt, he seemed primed to be the Eagles’ 4th wide receiver behind Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Jahan Dotson.
“Wilson, a 2024 sixth-round pick out of Florida State, seemed on track to make the 53-man roster as the fourth wide receiver,” ESPN’s Tim McManus wrote after Wilson’s injury in August 2025. “He has unique size for the position (6-foot-6, 228 pounds). The Eagles value his blocking as well as his ability to sky for 50-50 balls, as he did in the preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals when he finished with three catches for 73 yards.”
Brown is almost certainly gone in a post-June 1 trade. Dotson left for the Atlanta Falcons in free agency. They’ve already been replaced by 1st round pick (No. 20 overall) Makai Lemon and former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks, whom the Eagles obtained in a trade on April 10 and signed to a 1-year, $12.5 million contract extension.
So, it’s going to be an uphill battle for Wilson to make the roster.
Wilson Flashed Potential in Final College Season
If you’re a college football fan, you probably remember Wilson from his time playing for Florida State during a great run by the Seminoles in which they went 23-4 over the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Wilson was one of the best players for the Seminoles in that stretch and formed a potent duo with current Buffalo Bills rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman.
The 6-foot-7, 231-pound Wilson spent the first 2 seasons of his college career at Arizona State catching passes from future No. 2 overall pick and current Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels before transferring to Florida State, where he was a 2-time All-ACC pick.
Wilson had 84 receptions for 1,514 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns in his final 2 collegiate seasons while missing 3 games due to injury in 2023 — something that now seems like a sign of things to come.
Eagles Urged to Press Pause on Releasing Super Bowl Champion WR