The Philadelphia Eagles selected USC receiver and 2025 Biletnikoff Award winner Makai Lemon with the 20th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, a move that many believe cements the end of the A.J. Brown era in Philadelphia. A fellow receiver with NFC East ties offered further insight (criticism, really) into the selection.
Dez Bryant Bashes Eagles’ Selection of Makai Lemon
Former Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant further clarified in a series of posts on X that his post wasn’t related to his view of Lemon as a player.
“I don’t understand why the Eagles drafted Lemon,” Bryant said.
The Cowboys legend’s ranking of receiver prospects in this draft class actually featured Lemon as a top-five player.
His contention is not rooted in a lack of appreciation for Lemon’s collegiate dominance; rather, it is a critique of quarterback Jalen Hurts’ limitations as a distributor and style of player.
“Respectfully, Hurts is your QB! His style of play doesn’t fit what Lemon is used to. Whoever comes in will build around Hurts, not Lemon,” Bryant wrote in response to an Eagles fan.
Hurts was perhaps scrutinized more than ever before last season, amid a rather stale, unimaginative offense that struggled to replicate the 2024 success of the ground game. Nothing in football happens in isolation, so Hurts certainly doesn’t shoulder the blame exclusively. Hence, the parting of the ways between Philadelphia and former offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo following the 2025 season.
For his efforts, Hurts registered a 78.3 PFSN NFL QB Impact Score, good for 15th amongst all NFL quarterbacks last season. A slightly upper-half positioning in the metric feels appropriate with what Hurts has put on tape throughout his career, a top 20 quarterback in the league who can flirt with a spot amongst the game’s best dozen or so as the environment improves (not unlike most non-elite players at the position).
As for Bryant’s specific gripes with Lemon’s style of play meshing with Hurts’, it’s likely rooted in Brown’s role as a physical-based winner. A 6’1”, 226-pound perimeter wideout who does his best work against single coverage, even when coverage is advantageous. Lemon stands 5’11” and weighs 192 pounds as a primary slot option who can threaten the middle of the field, an area of the field where Hurts has had visible warts.
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However, it is worth noting that new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion appears to offer a fresh approach to the passing game that Philadelphia lacked last season, given his experience orchestrating a play-action passing game rooted in varied formations and route nuances (releases, switches, stacks, etc.). Running back Saquon Barkley and the offensive line will also return, and the presence of fellow receiver DeVonta Smith remains a plus.
