The wiki doesn't have a dedicated article on the 2026 NFL Top 100 players list or an explanation of A.J. Brown's specific ranking change, but I can piece together context from his page and expert takes.
A couple of factors are likely driving any drop:
- Trade to New England: Brown was traded from the Eagles to the Patriots in June, leaving a Super Bowl contender for a team still building around Drake Maye. That downgrade in team profile can matter for a peer-voted list.
- Injury concerns: The wiki flags "degenerative knee concerns and history of injuries" as a downside risk entering his age-29 season. On Underdog Fantasy, Josh & Hayden noted the same worry: "I do worry that the knees and the hamstrings and everything, maybe he's not the same level of explosiveness" — .
That said, his 2025 was still elite (78 rec, 1,003 yards, 7 TDs), and Sal Vetri pointed out he was still top-10 in fantasy points per game with a ~30% target share in what was considered a "down year" — . So any ranking drop is more about external factors (team change, health question marks) than his actual play.