There’s a drop-off in talent at wide receiver after A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, but the Eagles are in better shape than people are saying.

There is no longer a reason to debate. The NFL’s best wide receiver duo plays for the Philadelphia Eagles. Yes, the guys in Miami and Cincinnati were considered before making that statement, but A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith have the star power. They have the stats. They win more, perform better in bigger moments, and now have the hardware to validate themselves further.

Each NFL franchise has its needs. In a league that bases its model partially on parity and a salary cap, that won’t change from one offseason to another. Philly attacked a new league year that began with significant losses by adding low-risk, high-reward signings.

They added ten prospects during the NFL Draft, but there are still holes to fill. Might there be a chance that they’re in better shape in one area than we give them credit for being?

Jahan Dotson might be good enough to stabilize the Eagles‘ wide receiver corps as a third option (for now).

ESPN’s Aaron Schatz recently shared his thoughts on each NFL franchise’s most glaring need. His theories about the Eagles’ most obvious roster deficiency won’t shock you.

“A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith might be the best starting receiver duo in the NFL, but there’s a steep drop after them. The other receivers combined for only 365 receiving yards last season, led by Jahan Dotson’s 19 catches for 216 yards. The only newcomer is former Panthers receiver Terrace Marshall Jr., who had just three catches and 41 yards for the Raiders last season.”

Here’s the thing. Two statements that seemingly contradict one another can both be accurate. Scahtz is right about what he is saying, but the Eagles are also in better shape at WR3 than they are given credit for being. Jahan Dotson’s fifth-year option was declined, so Philly likely doesn’t see him as a long-term option. That doesn’t mean the Birds have reached levels of separation.

It would seem the Eagles’ offense is one significant injury away from potential disaster, and that’s probably true. That’s also true about most NFL rosters.

The Cincinnati Bengals will be in trouble if they lose Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase for a significant period and are forced to rely on Jermaine Burton, Andrei Iosivas, and Kendric Pryor. The Miami Dolphins will also be in trouble if Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill are injured. That would mean Tua Tagovailoa’s best offensive weapons are Malik Washington, Erik Ezukanma, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.

You can see where this is headed, right?

If A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith aren’t available for action, Philadelphia has something to consider. Everyone saw that scenario play out in Tampa vs. the Buccaneers, and the results weren’t pretty (a 33-16 loss), but again, name five teams who wouldn’t have that same issue.

Dotson isn’t a Pro Bowl-level player but proved trustworthy when Jalen Hurts looked in his direction. Second-year players Ainias Smith and Johnny Wilson are back and in the mix. Terrace Marshall is the new guy.

Philadelphia doesn’t need anyone in this WR3 role to be elite. After all, they’re, more often than not, probably going to be the fifth option in this Eagles’ attack anyway. Nick Sirianni has never shied from saying this offense runs through Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and newly restructured Dallas Goedert.

All the WR3 needs to do is make the most of his opportunities when they come. Jahan Dotson can do that. He’s better than most NFL teams’ third cover cornerback. If Smith, Wilson, and Marshall can step up, the back half of the depth chart at wide receiver becomes one of Philly’s biggest strengths, for the time being anyway. We’ll see what the plan is in the slot moving forward.