Eagles' DeVonta Smith unfazed by WR1 label after A.J. Brown trade

But if there was any ambiguity before A.J. Brown was traded to the Patriots, there certainly isn't now, with Smith becoming Jalen Hurts' clear-cut top receiver heading into the 2026 campaign.

Smith sat down with reporters earlier this week to discuss life without Brown, his mindset for the upcoming season, and the new offensive scheme.

Smith's thoughts on the Brown trade

The No. 1 topic, of course, was Smith's take on Brown's exit.

Despite Brown's complaints about his diminished role in the offense last year, he just posted his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard campaign.

Smith kept it short, his focus unchanged by the departure of the man who posted 5,034 yards and 32 touchdowns in the last four years.

"Business is business," he said. "I don't have any say in that."

While his reply might give the impression that he's unfazed, Smith also spoke warmly about the relationship he built with his former teammate.

Smith plays down Eagles WR1 status

Fresh off another 1,000-yard campaign of his own, Smith made it clear that his new WR1 label meant nothing.

"I think that when you have a room like the one we have," he said, "it brings the best out in everybody else. Everybody wants to compete. Everybody wants to be the best.

"We're all there to help each other. But ultimately, we're all there to compete for the position … at the end of the day, it's all love.

"I'm just going out there and doing my job, regardless of whether you want to look at it as one, two, three, four."

The new Eagles offense under Sean Mannion

Losing a top weapon in Brown is one thing, but Smith and Co. also face the challenge of learning a new offensive scheme.

The Eagles replaced 2025 offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo with former Packers quarterback coach Sean Mannion earlier this year.

Mannion is tasked with helping Philly's offense rebound after scoring only 22.4 points per game in 2025, a significant drop-off from the mark of 27.2 points in their Super Bowl LIX-winning 2024 campaign.

Described as an "evil genius" by offensive tackle Jordan Mailata, Mannion is installing an offense that Smith said will take some adjustment.

"I think it's going good. We're all still trying to learn, we're still installing, but I think it's going good," he said.

"It's all a matter of time before we go out there and have everything in. Right now, we're just fine-tuning it and everybody [is] trying to get a hold of everything."

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Finding a way to get running back Saquon Barkley going again after a down year in 2025 remains a priority, and Smith knows it.

"We want to marry up the offense, the run game and the pass game, and I think that's what is important here," he admitted.

Smith's mindset heading into 2026

On whether anything has changed in his approach this season, Smith said it's business as usual: "I'm going to do the same things I've been doing."

"You just want to be better every year," he continued. "That's what I'm focusing on. Learning the offense, doing what I can do to help us win football games and improving every day, and helping the guys in the room."

One of the players he's helping get acclimated is the team's first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, former USC wideout Makai Lemon, who has been nursing a hamstring injury at the start of OTAs.

When Lemon returns to the field, he'll join veteran tight end Dallas Goedert, second-round rookie Eli Stowers and former Green Bay receiver Dontayvion Wicks to form what should be a fresh, potentially dynamic group of pass-catching weapons.

If the Eagles are to rediscover their 2024 form and mount a serious challenge for Super Bowl LXI, they'll need the new faces to make a fast start.

But in Smith, at least, they have one constant they can rely on from Week 1.