PFF proves how A.J. Brown leaves defenders in the dust with short yard catches

Football fans can always count on Pro Football Focus being on the ball when it comes to providing the best data. All offseason, they have proven time and time again why Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown was the best wide receiver in the NFL in 2024.

PFF writer Lauren Gray demonstrated that, once again, she got specific on one aspect of Brown's game. Gray examined which receivers were best in particular depth on the field from behind the line of scrimmage to 20-plus-yard completions. Brown scored the best grade with wide receivers from one to nine yards downfield.

"Brown was targeted 57 times in the short area of the field, accounting for 48.3% of his targets on the season. He caught 45 passes for 492 yards (fifth in the league) and three touchdowns. Brown averaged 5.3 yards after the catch per reception and ranked sixth in yards per route run at 8.63. He secured six of 10 contested targets and finished in the top five in both missed tackles forced (12) and first downs (31). Nearly half of his first-down gains in 2024 (63) came on short-area targets."

Brown can do it all in the passing game for the Eagles

This is going to sound like a broken record, but PFF loves Brown. He was the number one-ranked receiver for PFF, going into 2025, and shared a separate article on how he was the second-best receiver in the league against man coverage.

He's been such a presence for this offense since being traded to the Eagles in 2022. Brown has recorded at least 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns in each of his last three seasons in Philadelphia. He's also earned two Pro Bowl selections and three second-team All-Pro selections as well.

Last season was his "worst" as an Eagle with 1,079 yards and seven touchdowns, but he didn't play in four games, three of which were due to injury. Had he played those other four games, Brown would have been at or matched the 1,400 yards he had in each of his first two seasons.

The chemistry Brown and Hurts have had together is something special. Something Philadelphia hasn't seen since Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens in 2004 and part of 2005 (but we all know how that ended).

Brown has made it clear that he wants to be in Philadelphia for a long time and shows no signs of leaving, despite the enormous amount of offseason rumors of him being traded. He's here to stay, and Eagles fans are grateful to have him back in 2025.