Makai Lemon, WRHeight: 5’ 11 ½”Weight: 182 lbsClass: Third-year JuniorSchool: USCHands: 8 ¾”Arm Length: 30 ½”STATS
Makai Lemon was a four-star wide receiver coming out of Los Alamitos, California, in the 2023 recruiting class. Lemon stayed local and committed to USC very early in his recruiting process, staying committed to them throughout high school.
Lemon led the Trojans in both receptions and yards in 2024 and 2025, while also leading the team in receiving touchdowns in 2025.
Career-wise, 46.3% of Lemon’s yards in 2025 came after the catch, an average of 6.4 YAC per reception.
This past season, Lemon won the Biletnikoff Award, given to the top WR in the country, and earned First-Team All-American and All-Conference honors.
Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) carries the ball against UCLA Bruins defensive back Andre Jordan Jr. (2) in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
StrengthsGlue hands whether open or in trafficFearless coming over the middle of the fieldMight have the best ball-tracking abilities in the draftExcels using tempo to create separation as a route-runnerElite body control, consistently gets two feet down by the sideline, even though college only requires one foot inOne of the better release packages in the draft, keeping him free of jamsCreates his yards after the catch with vision and contact balance through light tacklesDoes a great job of getting into a defender’s space and gets into cuts violentlyExplosive in and out of breaks as a route runnerOffers special teams value with experience and production as both a kick and punt returnerWeaknessesLacks top-end speed to create explosives consistentlyLikely won’t have the same level of contested catch success in the NFL against bigger, stronger athletesNot very creative after the catch, just a tough runner that’s willing to meet defenders where they areWhen cornerbacks do get a jam on him, he struggles to get back into phaseNot confident in his ability to separate against better man-cover cornersWill need to be either a slot receiver or Z used in motion to avoid a jamWhile he’s got great ball skills, he has a limited catch radius due to his sizeSummary
Makai Lemon is one of the smoothest receivers in the 2026 NFL Draft.
He’s ready to contribute in a major way from day one out of the slot or as a Z receiver, but lacks the skillset to play the X, which Malik Nabers would handle anyway.
In 2025, Lemon played 65.8% of his offensive snaps lined up in the slot while also seeing some snaps lined up in the backfield or inline.
It’s unclear just how much better Lemon can get in the NFL. He’s technically refined, and almost all of his limitations are size-speed ones.
A starter from day one that should have a long and productive career out of the slot, a common comparison for Lemon is Amon-Ra St. Brown, and on film, it’s clear why.
GRADE: 6.75
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