There was a lot of excitement around Philadelphia Eagles rookie wide receiver Makai Lemon after he was selected in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft as the replacement for A.J. Brown, but how should fans actually feel about him?
This was the topic on the Speakeasy show where former NFL Pro Bowl receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh gave his honest assessment of Lemon after seeing viral clips shared with the rookie at Eagles OTAs. While Houshmandzadeh believes Lemon will be a good player in the NFL, he is tempering expectations that he will be Brown's replacement.
“He’s not gonna be a bust. He’s too good a football player,” Houshmandzadeh said. "He just doesn’t have the size you would like outside of that. If he was six feet, he’s like, ‘Oh, that’s a great pick.’ It’s because of one, you’re not very big. Two, you went to an offense that really wants to run the ball. Three, you went to a quarterback that he ain’t giving you opportunities to make 50/50 plays, at least he hasn’t shown that he’s gonna do that.”
Will Makai Lemon end up being as good as Eagles fans think he can be?
Comparing Lemon to Brown is unfair. They are two completely different types of receivers who should not be compared since Lemon is smaller and a slot receiver, while Brown is taller and an outside receiver.
Lemon proved in college that he can be an elite wide receiver at the NFL level if he develops the right way. Last year, he caught 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns, winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award for being the best wide receiver in the nation.
Those viral clips at OTAs showed everything that Lemon could end up being. He's explosive off the jump on his routes and showed that he can make the tough catches, whether they are thrown on point in tight coverage or thrown lower than the ball should be.
The Eagles already have a true number-one wide receiver on the team with DeVonta Smith, so the real question is, does Lemon even have to be on the same level as Brown? No, he doesn't.
In this offense, Lemon doesn't have to be a 1,000-yard receiver or lead the team in receiving yards. The Eagles are looking for a reliable third down target for when they need five to seven yards, and Smith isn't open on the outside. If Lemon can prove he can do that, the Eagles have everything they need in a true WR2.
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Lemon is going to have a long NFL career because he has all the skill sets to be a great receiver in the league. No, he may not live up to the standards that Brown set up in Philly, but he can be the right guy the Eagles need in the passing game.
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