Lemon remains sidelined at practice

The good news: Eagles GM Howie Roseman didn’t seem overly concerned that Lemon wasn’t practicing during an interview with Kay Adams on Friday. Lemon also was seen catching passes from the JUGS machine on Saturday. Still, it’s the fourth consecutive missed practice for the rookie receiver who also missed time during minicamp. Lemon is starting from behind, but it’s important to remember how long the 17-game NFL season is. The Eagles will certainly need production from Lemon at some point as the team revises its passing attack without A.J. Brown.

It’s a blow to the Eagles as first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion uses training camp to install his system and ensure the team’s key players — including Lemon and Smith — are acclimated to the offense before the regular season. Hopefully the Eagles’ top two wideouts don’t miss much time with the soft tissue injuries. We can expect Eagles coaches to be cautious with Smith, the team’s new No. 1 receiver, and Lemon, who will likely play primarily from the slot in 2026. The Athletic’s Zach Berman said this week that the team “seems committed to finding ways to get [Lemon] the ball.”

Lemon has been working with the first-team offense, and this is all broadly encouraging for the idea that he can be a viable fantasy receiver in his rookie season. Lemon missed a chunk of offseason activities with a hamstring injury but it looks like he’s making a good mark early in training camp. He’s currently coming off the board just inside the top 40 wideouts on most sites by ADP.

Lemon has been sidelined with a hamstring injury for most of the offseason, but the 20th overall pick of this year’s draft is preparing to be a full go when the Eagles first take the practice field on July 29th. Lemon is expected to take on a big role in his first season after the Eagles traded A.J. Brown to the Patriots last month, but whether or not that translates into a breakout rookie campaign is to be determined. DeVonta Smith has been the talk of the offseason for the Eagles and is expected to command a significant portion of the targets in his first season as the WR1, and Philly has been among the most run-heavy teams in the league since signing Saquon Barkley in 2024. Given his time away, the camp reports on Lemon will be one to keep an eye on as this will be our first real look at him since his last season at USC.

No major cause for concern just yet, but it’s worth monitoring how he rebounds from a hamstring injury. With A.J. Brown now officially on the Patriots, Lemon is ticketed for a fairly big role in Philadelphia’s new offense in his rookie season. We’d be surprised if it had major breakout potential, but a WR3 season is probably in the range of outcomes if everything goes right.

Under new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, who will reportedly have “total authority” over the team’s offense, Jalen Hurts and the Eagles will have to learn an entirely new playbook predicated on the concepts that have made Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers and Sean McVay’s Rams two of the league’s most efficient offenses. This is very much in line with Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie pledging in April that the team would implement “significant offensive changes” after a 2025 campaign in which they ranked 17th in EPA per play, in line with the Texans and Falcons. Depending on which version of the Shanny/McVay offense Mannion installs, Saquon Barkley could see more pass-game involvement while short-area pass catchers like Dallas Goedert and rookie Makai Lemon see plenty of looks from Hurts, who last year ranked 14th out of 45 qualifying quarterbacks in accuracy on short throws. In 2024, Hurts led all QBs in accuracy on attempts between 1-10 yards.

Lemon’s $20.8 million deal is fully guaranteed and includes an $11.5 million signing bonus. The former USC wide receiver posted a 79/1,156/11 receiving line last year and brings inside-outside versatility to the Eagles’ offense. With WR A.J. Brown still on the roster, Lemon slots in as the No. 3 wide receiver. If and when Brown gets traded, Lemon should have the inside track for the No. 2 role, though he may have to fend off veterans, WR Dontayvion Wicks and WR Hollywood Brown, in training camp.

Per Fowler, Jets TE Kenyon Sadiq “was also believed to be part of the Rams’ first-round conversation at some point,” along with Cowboys S Caleb Downs. Both the former USC wide receiver and the former Oregon tight end were available when the Rams were on the clock. The former Ohio State safety was taken two picks earlier. The Rams are slated to pick 29th in Rounds 2 and 3 today. Given their interest in Lemon, a slot/Z-receiver, and Sadiq, a receiving tight end, it would be unsurprising to see them draft a pass catcher today.

Per Rapoport, the Steelers were actually on the phone with Lemon when the Eagles traded up with the Cowboys to acquire the No. 20 overall pick. The Eagles then tried calling Lemon, but could not get hold of him because he was on the line with the Steelers. Ultimately, the Eagles submitted the card anyway and came away with a new wide receiver. The Steelers instead drafted Arizona State OT Max Iheanachor one pick later. We expect the Steelers to be in the market for a new wide receiver on Day 2.

The Eagles gave Dallas picks No. 23, No. 114, and No. 137 to move up and select Lemon (5'11"/192). A slow but steady riser in Lincoln Riley’s ever-prolific Trojans offense, Lemon broke out as USC’s most reliable chain-mover in 2025, posting a sterling 79/1,156/11 receiving line to go along with a 71.8 percent catch rate and top-tier 53.3 percent success rate. His usage reflected a true all-levels profile, with 46 percent of his targets coming short, 25 percent intermediate, and 30 percent deep. He nevertheless primarily operated from the slot (62 percent slot vs. 34 percent wide), where he moved the chains 63.3 percent of the time. Although Lemon’s best work came in the short areas, he makes plays at all three levels thanks to truly elite ball skills and tracking ability. He creates reliable separation. Ridiculously strong at the catch point, Lemon is also comfortable in traffic. That’s good since he’s not a true blazer, but Lemon’s overall play speed and polish hint at Amon-Ra St. Brown-level upside. Productive and efficient with a history of power four production, Lemon should hit the ground running for both the Eagles and fantasy players. The Birds’ decision to draft Lemon further cements the likelihood that A.J. Brown will depart Philly in the coming months, but puts another good receiver in the way of a DeVonta Smith breakout.