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Eagles newcomers ‘26: Will Hollywood Brown give the Birds a much-needed, reliable vertical threat?

Plus, former East Carolina Pirate Zion Wilson brings an air of mystery to the defensive tackle competition.

Hollywood Brown is a former 1,000-yard receiver who is trying to prove himself for a fourth NFL team.
Hollywood Brown is a former 1,000-yard receiver who is trying to prove himself for a fourth NFL team. Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer

With Eagles training camp drawing nearer, The Inquirer is taking a closer look at the more than three dozen new faces who are expected to report along with the rest of the team on July 28.

Player: Marquise “Hollywood” Brown

Position: Wide receiver

Age: 29

Previous experience: Brown is a seven-year NFL veteran who was the first receiver taken in the 2019 draft (No. 25 overall out of Oklahoma by the Baltimore Ravens). He spent the first three years of his career with the Ravens, including a standout 2021 season in which he racked up a career-high 1,008 yards and six touchdowns on 91 receptions.

But Brown said that he wasn’t fond of the Ravens’ offensive system, leading to his trade request following his third season in Baltimore. The Ravens shipped him to the Arizona Cardinals on the first day of the 2022 draft.

The Cardinals picked up his fifth-year option. He played the final two years of his rookie deal in Arizona, ranking second on the team in receiving yards in both seasons (709 in 2022 and 574 in 2023).

Brown signed consecutive one-year deals over the last two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. He missed the majority of the 2024 season with a shoulder injury. In 2025, he started six games (16 games total), finishing the year with 587 yards (second-most on the team) and five touchdowns (tied for the team high) on 49 receptions.

Early in his career, Brown established himself as a speedy deep threat. He didn’t run the 40-yard dash at the combine or Oklahoma’s pro day due to a foot injury, but he reportedly ran a 4.3 40 in 2018. While Brown may have lost a step since then, he can still stretch the field vertically.

Path to a roster spot: Brown figures to slot in as the Eagles’ third or fourth receiver behind DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon. He’ll also vie for targets against Dontayvion Wicks, the 25-year-old receiver whom the Eagles acquired from the Green Bay Packers this offseason.

» READ MORE: Hollywood Brown is a former first-rounder and 1,000-yard receiver. The Eagles are giving him another chance at NFL relevance.

But Brown could carve out a singular role for himself in the offense as a deep threat, reminiscent of the job that Quez Watkins sought to fulfill early in Nick Sirianni’s tenure. Brown has the potential to open up opportunities for players underneath, so long as defenses respect him downfield.

Fun fact: Before he went to Oklahoma, Brown started his collegiate career at College of the Canyons, a community college in Santa Clarita, Calif. He wasn’t on a scholarship, so Brown made money by working as a ride operator at a nearby Six Flags, according to Sports Illustrated.

Quotable: “I think when you talk about Hollywood, there have been times [in] our offense we’ve had, really, that vertical skill set, but also a guy who can separate at the top of his routes. We had that a little. I always look at our teams in ’17, I thought Nelson [Agholor] did a great job of that, bringing that to the team. I think you look [at] ’22 and Quez did a good job of that. I think the ’24 team was constructed a little bit differently, but I think that really fits the skill set of our quarterback.” — Howie Roseman in March

Player: Zion Wilson

Position: Defensive tackle

Age: 23

Previous experience: Wilson spent the last five years at East Carolina. He joined the team as a walk-on in 2021 as an offensive lineman. He did not see game action until 2023, when he mostly began to serve in a special-teams capacity (11 games, 51 snaps on special teams). That role continued in 2024 — he played in all 13 games (70 snaps) on special teams.

Wilson, 6-foot-3, 316 pounds, also switched to the defensive line in 2024. The following season, he had a breakout performance, finishing with 42 tackles (including 10 for a loss) and seven sacks (which ranked second in the American Conference).

He reportedly spent the spring of 2026 at Virginia, where he planned to play in the fall. But the NCAA denied his sixth-year waiver, forcing him to go pro. Wilson signed a three-year deal with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent in June. His contract includes $225,000 in guaranteed money, according to Over The Cap.

Path to a roster spot: Wilson is an intriguing rookie, but he would have to beat out the likes of Byron Young, Uar Bernard, and Ty Robinson for one of the last couple of active roster spots among the defensive tackle corps. He is most likely a contender for the practice squad in 2026. His special teams experience would make him a valuable, versatile addition, too.

Fun fact: Wilson comes from a football family. His uncles, Willie Smith and C.J. Wilson, both played at East Carolina and had NFL careers. Smith, an offensive tackle, played a total of four seasons (2011-14) for Washington, the Oakland Raiders, and San Diego Chargers. The elder Wilson, a defensive end, played a total of seven years (2010-16) for the Green Bay Packers, the Raiders, the Detroit Lions, and the Chicago Bears.

Quotable: “Dude knows a lot about football. A lot. And just seeing his mind just [transfer] over [from] O-line straight to D-line. Just taking off from there. I kind of look up to him. Dude’s been wanting to do this his entire career here. Now, he’s got to finish it out here at ECU his senior year doing it. That dude is balling out. I could not be more happy and proud of him.” — East Carolina defensive lineman Preston Carr on Wilson in November, via The Holton Ahlers Show on Pirate Radio

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Eagles’ newcomers ’26

Whether a 2026 draft choice, a veteran addition, or a rookie free-agent hopeful, we’re telling you more about each player’s potential role this season. We’re rolling out two players per day in a mostly unscientific order that balances offense and defense, bigger names with mysteries, and locks with longer shots to be chosen for the 53-man roster.

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