By drafting Makai Lemon in the first round of the 2026 NFL season, the Philadelphia Eagles are expecting big things out of the rookie receiver right away.
Only time will tell if he can deliver, but a recent projection from The Athletic serves an underwhelming feeling before the start of the 2026 NFL season.
Eagles Get Underwhelming Makai Lemon Projection Before NFL Season
“For Lemon, how would you feel about Matthew Golden’s rookie year in Green Bay last season: 29 catches for 361 in 14 games? I’d be underwhelmed by that, honestly,” Zach Berman of The Athletic wrote on September 4.
“But that’s a first-round pick in this system with players ahead of him. A more optimistic comp could be Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s rookie season in 2023: 17 games, 63 catches for 628 yards. If you split the difference, that’s 46 catches for 494.5 yards. I’m going around there.”
Should The Eagles Tame Expectations?
At this point, the Eagles have no choice but to keep expectations for Lemon a little low.
The rookie wideout didn’t have much time to work on his transition from the NCAA to the NFL. Since OTAs, Lemon has been dealing with hamstring-related setbacks.
Early on during training camp, Lemon went out after re-injuring his hamstring. He missed all but one preseason game–making an appearance in the preseason finale.
If the Eagles start Lemon right away, it might feel forced. The only thing that’s for sure is that as long as the WR group is healthy, Lemon is the third-highest on the depth chart.
DeVonta Smith is the No. 1 for the team after the departure of AJ Brown. Dontayvion Wicks clearly won the No. 2 spot, while Lemon will be competing for snaps behind those two throughout the 2026-2027 NBA season.