The Philadelphia Eagles drafted USC Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon with the 20th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. But the pick came with concerns. With the USC Trojans' tag known for producing great wide receivers, Lemon is smaller in size, leading to doubts. But he knows how to defend his skills right away. 

Standing at 5-foot-11 and weighing 182 pounds, Lemon did not fit the typical measurements for a receiver. But for him its all about the mindset.

“I think it's just the mentality and the heart that you play with," he said during the April 25th media conference after being drafted. "The body type, you can get fooled by that, but your heart and your mentality that you approach the game could take you a lot farther than just your height and your size,” he said.

Lemon doesn’t perfectly fit into the traditional NFL powerhouse category. While his 5-foot-11 frame might raise eyebrows, his ability to operate as a precise route runner makes him a perfect fit for the Philadelphia Eagles.

He finds open space in the middle of the field and consistently secures difficult catches. It is the kind of reliability that can stabilize a passing game. 

This can be cross-certified with his performance at USC. Last season, he was officially named the best receiver in all of college football when he won the Biletnikoff Award.

He caught 79 passes for over 1,100 yards and scored 11 touchdowns in 2025. These numbers prove he can handle a heavy workload and succeed against the best teams in the country. This made the Eagles brush aside the size concerns.

"A competitor," said Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman. "Has the ability to separate in man coverage, out of the slot, he can play outside, physical player, really good with the ball in his hands."

 Lemon can line up both outside at Z and inside in the slot. It is something that fits with the Eagles' revamped passing attack.

Now, Eagles fans are excited to see him bring that same reliability and talent to the NFL, especially since 7x national championship winner Nick Saban has set high expectations for the player.

Nick Saban’s High Praise for Makai Lemon

Saban coached in college football for 28 seasons. Having that experience, he already landed his praise for Lemon, months before he got drafted.

“This guy is, in my opinion, the best receiver that I’ve seen this year," the former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach said last season.

Lemon was a key part of Saban’s "all-offense" team for this draft class. He stood alongside other top talents like Carnell Tate, who went No.4 to the Titans, and Jordyn Tyson, who went No.8 to the New Orleans Saints.

Lemon’s rise to becoming one of the draft’s top wide receiver prospects was not a smooth climb. As a freshman in 2023, he had a limited role and recorded just six catches for 88 yards.

But he made it count as his breakout game came in the second year against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Lemon totaled 256 all-purpose yards and became the first USC player since Marqise Lee in 2012 against Oregon to record both an 80-yard return and a 70-yard reception in the same game.

Will Lemon live up to the expectations in Philadelphia? Share your thoughts.

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Written by

Aaindri Thakuri

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar