DeVonta Smith readies 1,400-yard ceiling without AJ

With A.J. Brown now a happy member of the New England Patriots, NFL insider Louis Riddick believes DeVonta Smith is ready to step into Philadelphia’s WR1 role and reach a 1,300–1,400-yard season.

The Jefferson Health Training Complex is quiet in a different way now. A.J. Brown left the building with a parting message on his way out, and with Brown confirmed as a happy member of the New England Patriots, Philadelphia’s offense has entered a new emotional chapter.

For the Eagles, the immediate question is simple: who becomes the WR1? In NFL insider Louis Riddick’s view, the answer is already on the roster—DeVonta Smith.

Riddick made his case directly, explaining that you can’t easily write off what Brown brought to the field. “You cannot just discount losing a guy like AJ Brown and the force that he brings. You can’t.” But then he pivoted to the expectation that Smith can absorb the load.

Riddick pointed to Smith’s track record dating back to his college days with Nick Saban. In his words, the Heisman Trophy winner has been ready for this assignment for a long time. “But DeVonta Smith. by all accounts. going all the way back to his college days and people who coached him there. Nick Saban in particular. and then what he’s done in the pros already in a 1A type of role. he’s ready for this. He’ll be able to handle this. He will be a 1,300-1,400-yard receiver.”.

The projection comes with a practical reminder: Philadelphia still has to manufacture production across the rest of the room. Riddick’s concern wasn’t Smith—it was everyone around him. If Smith is asked to carry the top target load, the supporting cast has to rise to the new reality.

He ran through the names and roles that will determine whether the receiving corps holds together. “It’s the other guys. Is Makai Lemon going to be able to kind of like learn this new office that they’re all having to learn under Coach Mannion now?. And will he be a dependable number two?. Can Hollywood Brown be a No. 2/3?. Can Eli Stowers, the tight end drafted out of Vanderbilt be that big presence down the middle of the field?. Is the running game. which is going to look totally different this year. is that going to help supplement. you know. complement this new passing attack that?”.

Riddick also folded in the quarterback side of the equation, starting with Jalen Hurts. The question there is whether life changes for Hurts when the offense doesn’t have to cater to Brown’s specific skill set. “And Jalen Hurts himself. I mean, is he going to be better being able to organically play the position?. Tim can speak to that. Yeah. It has the potential to be better with the addition by subtraction. but I always get a little leery using that moniker. especially when you’re talking about a guy as talented as AJ.”.

It’s a storyline built on two competing truths at once: the Eagles are losing a proven impact receiver, and they believe they can replace that production without losing the identity of the offense.

Smith’s case is why the talk is even happening. Through his first five campaigns in Philadelphia. Smith has three 1. 000-yard seasons. and Riddick noted the added weight of playoff performances paired with the Super Bowl ring. The expectation now is that he takes the next step—getting into the 1. 300-yard territory that Riddick says is within reach.

If Smith can make the leap to the 1,300–1,400-yard range, the change isn’t just statistical. It would be proof the Eagles didn’t simply survive the AJ Brown era—they built a next act. In South Philly, that matters more than any projection, even one delivered with confidence on a major stage.

The tweet framing Riddick’s comments came June 10, 2026, tying his quote—“ready for this… a 1,300, 1,400-yd receiver”—to the larger conversation about the Eagles’ WR core after Brown.

DeVonta Smith Philadelphia Eagles A.J. Brown New England Patriots Louis Riddick NFL WR1 1400 yards Makai Lemon Hollywood Brown Eli Stowers Jalen Hurts Nick Saban Jefferson Health Training Complex