The Philadelphia Eagles upgraded their wide receiving corps while also bringing in a player with whom many of their players are familiar.
Coach Nick Sirianni addressed the Eagles’ decision to trade for John Metchie III and what they will be getting with the speedy 25-year-old wideout.
The Eagles acquired Metchie from the Houston Texans earlier this week for a sixth-round pick and tight end Harrison Bryant on Monday.
Metchie, a second-round pick of the Texans in 2022 who played just 29 games for the Texans over two seasons, should complement mainstays A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith as Philadelphia’s No. 3 receiver.
What Did Nick Sirianni Say About John Metchie III?
Sirianni expressed his enthusiasm for Metchie, who he scouted while preparing to draft Smith with the 10th overall pick out of Alabama in 2020 and quarterback Jalen Hurts — who played there before transferring to Oklahoma for his final year.
So when the opportunity to came to land Smith’s college teammate — they won the 2020 FBS championship together — Sirianni and GM Howie Roseman made the call.
“We really liked him coming out [of Alabama],” Sirianni said. “Obviously he made a lot of plays there, it was always a fan of his game.”
Sirianni reported that players like Smith and Hurts — and the seven former Alabama players on the roster — spoke highly of Metchie. Plus, when watching the receiver’s tape, Sirianni saw some remarkable similarities to Smith.
“The thing that really stood out to me is how tough he is and just with how he blocks and how he finishes on the sidelines with the ball in his hands,” Sirianni said. “You can tell that they coached by the same guys in college, since there are some similarities to how they finish with that ball in their hands to DeVonta.”
But aside from those intangibles, Sirianni also cited his physical gifts, which are not necessarily apparent based on his 6-0, 196-pound frame.
“He’s quick. He’s very quick,” Sirianni said. “Excited about the things he can add to this football team.”
What Is John Metchie III’s Role On The Eagles?
Though they have made the playoffs in four straight years, and qualified for the Super Bowl in two of the past three seasons and won the game this year, the Eagles have had a hard time finding a No. 3 receiver behind Brown and Smith.
Typically, tight end Dallas Goedert is the third receiving option, since he was third on the team in receiving yards in 2024 (496) despite playing just 10 games. But before the Metchie trade, Philadelphia’s No. 3 wideout was Jahan Dotson, who was sixth on the team in catches (19) and receiving yards (296) in 2024.
So Metchie is an upgrade to Dotson, even though both have yet to showcase their potential in the NFL. Plus, it properly slots Dotson as the WR4, which could give him more favorable matchups.
Metchie expects to give the Eagles more ability to play with 11 personnel and not lose much, plus it keeps him from going to an NFC rival like the wideout-needy Minnesota Vikings or division-rival Washington Commanders.
