The Philadelphia Eagles turned the corner offensively this offseason. Moving on from A.J. Brown was an obvious outcome, so they were prepared for his departure. They selected receiver Makai Lemon with the 20th overall pick in the first round.
Lemon wasn't able to take the field during minicamp due to a hamstring injury, but before he was sidelined, he was on the field when OTAs kicked off. And his role within the offense was taking shape. ESPN's Tim McManus said Lemon was with the starters and was seen in the slot a ton.
"Pre-snap motion is expected to be featured in new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion's scheme, and early indications suggest Lemon will be a big part of that. There were some expected growing pains, but Lemon's short-area quickness stands out. He was sidelined for minicamp because of a hamstring injury."
And even though he was on the side due to an injury, that shouldn't change his role when he returns to the field.
Eagles' plan for Makai Lemon was obvious before he was sidelined
With Sean Mannion now running the show offensively, there will be a different flow on that side of the ball. And from the early looks, pre-snap movement will be a consistent factor, and Lemon will have a role in that, especially from the slot.
That shouldn't be a surprise either, as Lemon lined up in the slot in 75.6 percent of his career snaps at USC. He will likely take that same role with the Eagles, and from the looks of things, he will be a nice weapon on this team.
Being a short-yardage weapon is a nice outlet for Jalen Hurts and this passing attack. Coming into the league, some of Lemon's strengths are his route-running savviness and strong hands at the catch point.
Those skills will translate, but the fact that the Eagles are already looking at other ways to get him involved is telling. Lemon isn't the biggest player (5-feet-11, 194 pounds), so finding ways to get him better matchups will be favorable for both him and the offense.
Missing time during minicamps isn't ideal, so he'll have to play catch-up in training camp, but the signs are there. The Eagles and the new-look offense under Mannion will be fun to watch for fans, and they should expect to see Lemon have a serious role in 2026.
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That's what you would want to see regarding your first-round pick, and from the looks of it, the USC product will be leaned on. Brown's 121 targets from last season are up for grabs, and Lemon will see a nice chunk of those.
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