Lately, Philadelphia Eagles rookie wide receiver Makai Lemon has been doing better, but he struggled to haul in a couple of key passes on Sunday against the New York Giants.
After Sunday’s loss, Lemon was asked about the drops, and the rookie’s frustration with himself was clear when he explained why he couldn’t haul them in.
“Losing focus. I got to catch them … That’s bad. Both of them [were bad]; it doesn’t matter,” Lemon told reporters.
As far as what he can do to avoid the same issues going forward, the first-round pick has a simple solution.
“Catch as many balls as you can. Just keep doing the same thing that you’ve been doing,” Lemon finished.
Makai Lemon’s NFL Career So Far
It’s been a slow start for Lemon, who has appeared in all eight of the Eagles’ games this season.
Earlier in the year, the Eagles struggled to find a connection between Lemon and Jalen Hurts. With Hurts favoring targets such as DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks, and Dallas Goedert, Lemon seemed to be getting force-fed receptions on gimmick plays.
Lately, that hasn’t been the case. Smith and Wicks have been injured, while the quarterbacks under center don’t have years of chemistry with any other players on the team.
As the season unfolds, Lemon is seeing more targets come his way. Heading into Week 9 against the Giants, he had hauled in 31 receptions, totaling 251 yards and one touchdown.
Lemon led the way for the Eagles at home against the Giants with six receptions for 61 yards. Despite a couple of drops over his nine targets, he was clearly the most productive player in the receiving game on Sunday.
Rookies are bound to make mistakes, and Lemon had his amid another underwhelming day for the offense, but he continues to take strides with his development.
