Philadelphia Eagles rookie wide receiver Makai Lemon did not get off to the best start of the 2026 season, but things appear to be trending in the right direction for him.
Since DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks have both been out the last three games with injuries, Lemon has been called upon to step up as the team's new WR1. He has answered the call without complaint and is starting to show why the Eagles drafted him in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Eagles might be on a bye after their loss to the New York Giants, but the 2-7 team is starting to feel much better about Lemon and what he can bring. One stat shows he has earned more targets, and the team was smart to learn from the past.
Makai Lemon is doing one thing better than any NFL receiver for Eagles
Lemon tried his best to make a good first impression on the Eagles fan base, but it didn't happen. With offensive coordinator Sean Mannion using him mostly as a wide receiver on screen passes, Lemon had 18 receptions for 127 yards in the first six games.
Since then, though, Lemon has been on a tear and has proven to be a solid replacement for Smith and Wicks. In the last three games, Lemon has caught 19 passes for 185 yards and one touchdown.
This season, he has 37 catches for 312 yards and one touchdown. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 58.9, ranking 68th out of 73 eligible wide receivers. He has a receiving grade of 58.2 (ranked 69th).
Despite the mixed bag of a season it has been for Lemon, he is doing one thing better than anyone else in the NFL: getting separation. Pro Football Hall of Fame International Ambassador Steve Flack shared a PFF stat showing that Lemon leads the NFL in separation rate with 93.6% on 47 non-screen targets.
Eagles learned their Makai Lemon lesson and it's paying off
It took Mannion and the offensive coaching staff a while to figure out what Eagles fans had known for weeks: push Lemon downfield vertically. Philly used other players, like Darius Cooper, on screen passes to make it work, since it just didn't work for Lemon.
The thing with Lemon, though, is that he is so quick with his feet that it just makes more sense to get him downfield. He can beat a lot of cornerbacks in the NFL if he is given the chance.
Philly doesn't have to use him as a deep threat in the offense, as he works better with short and medium passes between five and15 yards. He can work the middle of the field so well because he can cut a route quickly and move in a different direction.
Lemon is a different type of receiver than the Eagles have had in the past. He makes a perfect slot receiver, but things have been off since Smith and Wicks haven't been able to play.
The last three games show that once Smith and Wicks are back, though, Lemon needs to keep getting seven to nine targets a game and not change the passing game plan. Continue to have him run short routes and let him pick up YAC by using his quick feet.
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While the losing has been miserable, Eagles fans can all agree that they are starting to see what Lemon could look like in this offense in 2027 and beyond. For them, it is encouraging, and they appreciate that Mannion is finally using his rookie the right way.
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