Watching the Philadelphia Eagles play hasn’t been fun for anyone this season, and perhaps the most troubling aspect is the lack of any discernible young talent on the roster.
Because the Eagles used their first two draft picks on skill players — wide receiver Makai Lemon in the 1st round and tight end Eli Stowers in the 2nd round — that’s been part of the problem.
Both already seem like busts. Lemon’s injury issues derailed the first part of the season and any sort of continuity in the offense.
Stowers’ inability to grasp a pro-style offense did the same — and it appears the Eagles didn’t really draft a wide receiver but an oversized wide receiver.
They’ve both been bad, but Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman put both rookies on his list of the NFL’s top “Breakout Candidates” in the second half of the season.
The Eagles are 2-7 heading into their bye in Week 10 and have lost seven straight games—they return home in Week 11 to face the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Why There’s Hope for WR Makai Lemon
Lemon won the Biletnikoff Award at USC in 2025 but hasn’t looked like an NFL wide receiver for most of the year — and it hasn’t helped that his injury issues have coincided with those of star wide receiver DeVonta Smith, who has missed five games with a hamstring injury.
“Offensive injuries have scuttled the Eagles’ season, but Lemon has been a rare bright spot, getting his first touchdown catch as part of a seven-catch, 67-yard breakout game against Dallas in Week 7,” Auman wrote on November 13. “He’s logged 57 and 61 yards, respectively, over the Eagles’ last two games. With DeVonta Smith hurt, this first-round rookie is challenging for the team lead in receptions, and finding success despite having backup quarterbacks throwing to him with Jalen Hurts out with his blood clot issues.”
Why There’s Hope for TE Eli Stowers
Stowers, 6-foot-4 and 239 pounds, won the Mackey Award at Vanderbilt in 2025 and blew away scouts at the NFL Scouting Combine with a 45.5-inch vertical leap and a 4.50-second 40-yard dash.
That’s done little to help him get on the field for the Eagles. He started the season on injured reserve and didn’t make his NFL debut until Week 7 against the Dallas Cowboys — at which point the Eagles’ season was pretty much already over.
So, maybe next year?
“The Eagles have been decimated by injuries on offense, and that includes their second-round pick from Vanderbilt, who is in position to take the reins from Dallas Goedert in a long run of prolific Eagles tight ends,” Auman wrote. “Philadelphia brought Zach Ertz in as emergency depth, but Stowers, a converted quarterback, has a chance to step up as a solid TE2, eventually taking the top spot from Goedert.”
Disappointing Eagles Rookies Called NFL’s Top ‘Breakout Candidates’