USC wide receiver Makai Lemon stood out among college wideouts this past season despite his 5’11” stature. In his junior year for the Trojans, Lemon caught 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns, earning the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver.
The challenge for Lemon during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine was to prove that he can take his skills to the next level despite his height disadvantage, which experts deem an issue, especially when he will have a taller safety shadowing him.
Steelers Eye USC WR Makai Lemon to Pair With DK Metcalf
Current NFL wide receivers range from 5’9″ to 6’6″, and Lemon is at the lower end of that range, which is considered a disadvantage. He addressed the concern during the media availability session for aspiring players. The All-American was asked: “You are 5’11, so definitely on the smaller size, but you tend to play like a big receiver, how is that possible?”
Lemon did not boast about his 2025 production at USC to defend himself, but he offered a heartfelt reply about who he would be playing for if he were picked and played in the NFL next season.
“This game is how I feed my family, so I gotta give it everything I got. I do it all, man,” Lemon said.
Question: “You are 5’11 so definitely on the smaller size but you tend to play like a big receiver, how is that possible?”
Lemon: “This game is how I feed my family so I gotta give it everything I got. I do it all man”
Yeah I’m all in🐶 pic.twitter.com/QbIMyMTlpp
— Bryce DeGroat (@NFL_Convo) February 27, 2026
In a seven-round mock draft by PFSN’s Jacob Infante on Saturday, the USC standout was selected 21st by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Infante noted the Steelers’ need to find a player to pair with starter DK Metcalf and believes Lemon is a good fit at the slot.
“He is a sure-handed slot receiver who’s quick after the catch and consistently gets open against both man and zone coverage with sharp breaks and good leverage work through his stems,” Infante said.
In another analysis prepared by PFSN’s Ian Cummings, Lemon was compared with former Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason.
“Lemon won’t blow the doors off in the 40-yard dash, and his lacking length and size can impact his success against press and early physicality, but as a power-slot alongside Jaylen Waddle, he can tear through opposing defenses as a modern-age Derrick Mason.” Cummings said.
MORE: Rookie WR Pro Comp Analysis: Is Makai Lemon the Next Derrick Mason?
After three unproductive NFL seasons, Mason delivered in his fourth, catching 63 passes for 895 yards and 5 touchdowns. The following year, the Michigan State standout caught 73 passes for 1,128 yards and 9 TDs. He would go on to have seven more 1,000-yard seasons over the next eight years, from 2002 to 2009.
By comparison, Lemon caught 58 passes for 852 yards and 3 TDs in his first two seasons with USC and broke out in his third. He will try to continue his surge in the NFL with a team that needs him. Lemon can play through contact and thrives in zone coverage. His toughness makes up for his lack of height and his struggles in one-on-one coverage.
Lemon hopes his award-winning performance is enough to secure a first-round selection, as the mock drafts suggest. However, there is still a two-month wait before the NFL draft in Pittsburgh on April 23-25, so a lot can happen along the way.
