The Philadelphia Eagles hadn’t traded 3-time NFL All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown yet when they traded up to draft wide receiver Makai Lemon in the 1st round, and did so by making a deal with the hated Dallas Cowboys.
By the time the Eagles came together for mandatory minicamp some 6 weeks later, Brown had been shipped off to the New England Patriots and, according to ESPN’s Tim McManus, Lemon is already a huge part of the plans to revamp Philadelphia’s offense in 2026.
“Lemon jumped into the mix with the starters and was mainly featured in the slot,” McManus wrote on June 29. “Pre-snap motion is expected to be featured in new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion’s scheme, and early indications suggest Lemon will be a big part of that. There were some expected growing pains, but Lemon’s short-area quickness stands out. He was sidelined for minicamp because of a hamstring injury.”
Makai Lemon’s Free Fall Came After Combine
If you’re crunching the tape and looking at the numbers, it’s hard to understand why Lemon was the 3rd wide receiver taken in the 1st round — behind Carnell Tate to the Tennessee Titans at No. 4 overall and Jordyn Tyson to the New Orleans Saints at No. 8 overall.
That’s because every other metric says Lemon, the Biletnikoff Award winner at USC in 2025, is the best of the bunch — and playing on a 4-year, $20.8 million contract.
The reason he was still available in the 2nd half of the 1st round was a disastrous NFL combine performance in which Lemon not only alienated plenty of teams but also cost himself millions of dollars.
“USC WR Makai Lemon has gone viral for his NFL combine interview when asked who he models his game after and looks up to in the NFL,” NFL influencer Dov Kleiman wrote on their official X account. “Fans are extremely confused by his ‘demeanor.’ “
“I talked to a scout just now who said he didn’t know what Makai Lemon’s motive was behind his combine interviews but whoever advised the kid needs to be fired,” NFL insider Breiden Fehoko wrote on X. ” ‘Absolutely bombed it’ … word for word.”
“Seeing lots of talk today about Lemon bombing his interviews ….. it’s true,” Anthony Betts wrote on X. “I was told the other day he did. Even some people at the combine told me he was a turn off. I know a few teams took him off the board. Does he fall? If he does how far? One team told me ‘Great player, horrible attitude. What a disaster.’ ”
Possible Top 10 NFL Slot Wide Receiver as Rookie
Lemon, 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, has the kind of talent that could make him a star the moment he steps on the field for the Eagles.
He had just 6 receptions for 88 yards and no touchdowns as a freshman at USC in 2023, then started to flash in 2024 with 52 receptions for 764 yards and 3 touchdowns.
In 2025, Lemon finally took the roof off with 79 receptions for 1,156 and 13 total touchdowns — 11 receiving and 2 rushing — in 12 games.
There’s some thought Lemon could step in and be a Top 10 slot receiver in the NFL from Day 1.
“High-skill, high-volume slot receiver with average size but extraordinary ball skills. Lemon has room for refinement, but not much. He’s intelligent, confident and polished with the ability to make plays on all three levels,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote. “Tempo-driven route-runner who misdirects man coverage and separates out of turns but is fairly average after the catch. Quicker than fast, featuring early acceleration to open seam throws but flashes late burst when needed … he wins more combat catches than he loses. Lemon is a plug-and-play, quarterback-friendly talent with first-round value and Pro Bowl upside.”
Eagles’ $20.8 Million 1st-Round Pick Already ‘Big Part’ of Offensive Plans