A.J. Brown was always leaving the Eagles. Drafting Makai Lemon just confirmed that reality.

Two things can be true at once. Case in point: the Eagles drafted Makai Lemon because they saw value in trading up for the Southern Cal wide receiver and because they need a replacement for the likely-departing A.J. Brown.

But need at the position was never likely to influence how Eagles general manager Howie Roseman approached the first round of the NFL draft. If that were the case, he would have forced a tackle to be Lane Johnson’s heir apparent, or uncharacteristically taken a safety to fill their most obvious need.

» READ MORE: Eagles select wide receiver Makai Lemon at No. 20 after draft night trade with Cowboys

No, moving up three spots from No. 23 to 20 was, first and foremost, about Lemon dropping when the Eagles ranked him among their top prospects. It might have also been about the pieces not falling exactly the way they had projected, particularly at the tackle spot, where they had focused much of their pre-draft efforts.

But Roseman has run enough drafts to know that the best laid plans must prepare for when the proceedings go awry, and the Eagles, he said, had conceived of a scenario in which Lemon would fall within striking range.

“We kind of had a really good sense of who we thought the first 15 guys would be,” Roseman said late Thursday night. “One of those guys did not go in the first 15, and he was available to us.”

It’s sound logic and more than plausible. The Eagles have long valued certain positions in the first round over others, and receiver has long been one of them. But to leave the reality of Brown’s situation out of the equation would be disingenuous.

The dominoes signaling his exit have been toppling over for weeks, if not months, and Lemon’s selection was just the latest before the mercurial receiver is dealt to the Patriots — or some late entry joins what has mostly been a two-partner dance — on or around June 1.

“A.J. is a member of the Eagles. We don’t have any trades that have been made, or that are done,” Roseman said. “And I think for us, we’re taking this one day at a time.”

Roseman was responding to a question referencing a recent ESPN report that a deal between the Eagles and New England was expected. He wanted to avoid the notion that the two teams have already reached an agreement with a handshake — partly to keep other interested teams in the picture — but Brown’s days in Philly are waning.

Brown didn’t report for the start of voluntary offseason workouts on Monday as he had the previous four years, and is unlikely to show at the risk of injury or disruption. He has made his intentions clear internally for some time, and the Eagles eventually reached the same resolution.

Nothing is written in ink, of course. But only a tiny segment of flat earther Eagles fans remain who can’t see that Brown is all but gone. It’s understandable. He was an elite receiver. He helped win a Super Bowl.

But the Eagles of the last two-plus decades have succeeded more than they have failed in predicting the expiration date of aging players, and Roseman would normally scoff at questions about Brown’s future if he didn’t think the 29-year-old receiver was in decline.

Lemon should make it that much easier to move on. On paper, he will step into the starting spot opposite new No. 1 DeVonta Smith. He will have to earn his place on the depth chart, but a first-round pedigree will give him the early edge over recent additions Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown.

“He has a lot to like about him,” Roseman said of Lemon. “Competitor. Has the ability to separate in man coverage out of a slot. He can play outside. Physical player. Really good with the ball in his hands. Really good hands. Good in zone coverage. Has really good instincts.”

Until the Smith pick in the first round five years ago, Roseman’s scouting reports on receivers may have caused eye rolls. He had hits and misses in his early years as GM, but two dubious early round selections — Jalen Reagor in the 2020 first round and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside in the 2019 second round — set the franchise back.

But he found other avenues to top-flight receivers and collected his best pair of starters with Smith and A.J. Brown, who he acquired for a first-round pick in the 2022 draft. It wasn’t too long ago that Smith was deemed too skinny to thrive in the NFL and Brown too uncertain because of chronic knee issues.

Lemon is on the smaller side at 5-foot-11, 192 pounds. The large majority of his snaps in college (75%) came out of the slot. Roseman and Eagles coach Nick Sirianni insist he can thrive on the outside.

“This guy can do both. He can be outside, he can be inside,” Sirianni said. “Has a lot of versatility that he’s able to do. … We’ll see where we start him off when he gets here.”

Slot receivers can be as valuable as outside ones, but flexibility would be ideal. Lemon should be given time to mature into a more well-rounded route runner. Best-case scenario he follows the path of two other smallish slot receivers who developed into inside-outside threats and All-Pros: Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Worst-case scenario: Well, there have been plenty of examples of small slot receivers failing to make the jump to the pros. If Nelson Agholor ends up the comp — another Souther Cal receiver drafted at No. 20 in 2015 — the Eagles could do worse.

But the 21-year-old Lemon seemingly has the confidence that Agholor may have lacked early in his tenure here.

“They’re going to get somebody that’s going to come in and want to compete at a high level,” Lemon said during a video interview. “A dawg.”

The Eagles spent considerable time with the Southern California native during the pre-draft process: from the combine to a 30 visit at Jefferson Health Training Complex. Sirianni said Lemon’s toughness “oozed off his tape,” but having him in the building confirmed the Eagles’ evaluation.

It’s unclear where they had him among the top receivers, but most pre-draft analysis had Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson and Lemon as the top three — the order depending upon the evaluator.

Tate went to the Giants at No. 5 and Tyson to the Saints at No. 8. Tackles then started flying off the board with five going in the next 11 picks: Spencer Fano (No. 9), Francis Mauigoa (10), Kadyn Proctor (12), Blake Miller (17) and Monroe Freeling (19).

The Eagles could address the offensive line on Day 2. They have a second-rounder and two third-rounders. But there isn’t a rule that you have to draft for the future a year in advance.

There is a world in which Brown, Smith and Lemon play together, but not likely on this rotating planet. Roseman was thinking about the present when he dialed up Lemon and he was on the phone with the Steelers, who were poised to take the receiver at No. 21.

But he was also imagining the future.

“My phone kept ringing. I look and it’s the Eagles,” Lemon said. “Obviously, they traded up and they were going to pick me. I feel everything happens for a reason.”

Or reasons. Two in this case.