A difficult preseason debut has not changed the expectations surrounding Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon.
The Eagles selected Lemon with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after an impressive college career at USC, where he won the 2025 Fred Biletnikoff Award. However, his transition to the NFL got off to a slow start after an early hamstring injury forced him to miss three weeks of training camp.
Makai Lemon Gets Backing Despite Preseason Struggles
Lemon’s limited preparation showed during his preseason appearance against the Cincinnati Bengals. He finished with three catches for three yards, while a dropped pass resulted in an interception, and he also muffed a punt.
Despite the disappointing outing, Pro Football Network’s Jacob Infante believes Lemon has the skills to make an immediate impact in Philadelphia.
“I think Makai Lemon has a serious opportunity to be really productive right out of the gate in that Philadelphia offense,” Infante said. “You never know how a rookie is going to translate to the NFL. I don’t think Lemon really has incredible touchdown upside, especially when you have Dallas Goedert in the mix, but I really trust Lemon as a route runner.”
Infante believes Lemon’s route-running ability could help him quickly earn a regular role in the Eagles’ offense.
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“I trust his precision, his route salesmanship, his explosion coming out of his breaks to be a high-floor player at the next level,” Infante added. “I think he has the opportunity to be a high-volume target in that Philadelphia Eagles offense.”
Lemon currently has an average draft position of 112 in PFN’s Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator, while the expert consensus ranking places him at No. 103 overall. He is projected to average 9.9 fantasy points per game.
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For the Eagles, Lemon’s preseason struggles appear to be more about missed preparation than a concern over his long-term potential. The team has continued to show confidence in the young receiver, believing his limited training camp work contributed to his early mistakes.
Lemon finished his final season at USC with 1,156 receiving yards and entered the NFL with a reputation as one of the most polished route runners in the draft.
If he can stay healthy and quickly get comfortable in the Eagles’ offense, Lemon could still have an opportunity to become a reliable target during his first NFL season.
His preseason debut may have raised some concerns, but Infante clearly believes the rookie has the tools to move past the early struggles and play an important role in Philadelphia.
