The Philadelphia Eagles might not feel totally confident with their first two picks of the 2026 NFL Draft after training camp.
After snagging two offensive weapons early–Makai Lemon and Eli Stowers are both coming off underwhelming showings.
For the former, a hamstring injury has held him back, giving him some level of an excuse, but also raising more concern as he’s carrying an injury-prone label so far.
Despite the setbacks and the struggles, Lemon could still earn a notable role at the start of the 2026 NFL season.
Eagles Get Risky Makai Lemon Prediction vs Commanders
While revisiting pre-training camp questions with answers, the Philly Voice’s Jimmy Kempski made a bold prediction on what could happen with Lemon in Week 1 between the Eagles and the Washington Commanders.
Noting that Lemon did not earn a starting role in training camp, the circumstances could still place Lemon in a position to garner some notable snaps early on.
“His lone preseason game was a dud, as he had three catches for three yards on five targets, including a drop that led to an INT, and a muffed punt,” Kempski wrote.
“That said, he might start anyway. Smith will be the WR1, and Dontayvion Wicks will be the WR2. When Lemon was ready to practice after a long period of being out, he was inserted right back into the starting lineup. Many of the other wide receivers had better camps than Lemon, but not to the degree that they should be no-brainer starters.”
The Eagles insider believes that the Eagles will “shoehorn” Lemon in the lineup as the WR3 for Week 1. The rookie’s role beyond that could end up being on a week-to-week basis.
Makai Lemon Has A Lot To Prove
The 22-year-old wide receiver was selected No. 20 overall. Most first-rounders enter their NFL situation with the pressure to win a starting spot.
If Lemon does become WR3 right away, he’ll have to make a strong impact right away to keep his spot. Seeing as though he didn’t show much during the offseason, the Eagles can only experiment with him for so long.