In a bit of a surprise, the Philadelphia Eagles selected USC wide receiver Makai Lemon with the 20th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after trading with the Dallas Cowboys.
The Eagles traded picks 23, 114 and 137 to their arch rivals for pick 20 and a 7th round pick. Allocating a premium draft pick to a wideout all but seals the fate that A.J. Brown will be moving on next season.
It marks the fifth time in the last six seasons Howie Roseman has moved up in the first round and Lemon becomes the second wide receiver taken in the first round by the Eagles in the last seven drafts joining DeVonta Smith in 2021 and Jalen Reagor in 2020.
At USC, Lemon racked up 79 catches for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. He led the Trojans in receiving in each of the last two seasons and only had three drops in his career. He is coming off a season where he paced the Big Ten in yards per game (96.3) and finished second in the conference in yards (1,156), touchdowns (11) and catches (79) earning an unanimous All-American honor and became just the second Trojan to win the Fred Biletnikoff award, which goes to the best wide receiver in college football.
Listed at 5’11, 192 pounds, here is a scouting report from Scouts Inc.
“Lemon led the Trojans in receiving yards over the past two seasons, primarily playing from the slot. He is a polished route runner who can create separation against man coverage and does a good job attacking green grass against zone coverage. While Lemon did not run at the combine, he shows great speed and consistently gets behind defenders on film. He is willing to work over the middle, sacrificing his body to haul in contested catches. Lemon plays through contact well and shows strength at the catch point, providing a reliable target for the QB. Though he measured in with smaller hands at the combine, that didn't seem to affect his ability in college. Lemon dropped only three balls in three seasons. And on screens, he displays great spatial awareness when navigating in the open field.”
The Eagles now have Smith, Lemon, Hollywood Brown, Dontayvion Wicks, Darius Cooper, Elijah Moore, Britain Covey, Quez Watkins, Danny Gray and Johnny Wilson on their depth chart.
Philadelphia still has needs at offensive line, tight end, EDGE and safety.
