Patriots Acquire AJ Brown; Former Receiver Julian Edelman Predicts “Monstrous” Season

The New England Patriots completed a blockbuster acquisition of wide receiver AJ Brown on June 1, sending a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder to the Philadelphia Eagles. The move gives rookie quarterback Drake Maye a proven, elite outside target after the Patriots’ Super Bowl-run the previous season.

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Former Patriots receiver Julian Edelman, now an NFL analyst, argued that head coach Josh McDaniels has a history of maximizing the production of newly acquired star receivers. Citing past Patriots successes with Randy Moss (98 catches, 1,493 yards, 23 touchdowns in 2007) and Wes Welker (112 catches, 1,175 yards in 2007), Edelman highlighted similar spikes in target volume for receivers such as Brandon Marshall (154 targets, 101 catches in 2009) and Davante Adams (180 targets, 100 catches in 2022) under McDaniels.

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Brown recorded 78 receptions for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games with the Eagles in 2025, but his 121 targets were well below the 158 he saw in 2023. In contrast, Patriots wideout Stefon Diggs logged 85 catches on 102 targets for 1,013 yards in 2025. Brown’s career includes six seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards, highlighted by a personal best 1,496 yards in 2022.

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He emphasized Brown’s physicality, yards-after-catch ability, and downfield skill as assets that should benefit Maye’s offense.

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• “When Josh McDaniels gets a new toy, a new receiver — he has a track record of killing it… A.J. Brown is going to have a monstrous year,” — Julian Edelman — Julian Edelman, former Patriots wide receiver and NFL analyst.

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