The Philadelphia Eagles underwent a major shake-up in their wide receiver room during the offseason, as A.J. Brown, who had been the source of significant drama during the 2025 season, was dealt to the New England Patriots. Brown’s fate was effectively sealed on April 23, when the Eagles used their first round draft pick to trade up three spots and select Makai Lemon, an undersized but highly productive pass-catcher. 10 days before the draft, Philadelphia had also traded for Green Bay Packers wideout Dontayvion Wicks, who played in the slot and out wide in almost equal proportions. Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore also came in on free agency deals.
Now, Devonta Smith, who had spent the past four seasons as the 1B to Brown’s 1A, will now get the chance to be the fully-fledged No. 1 receiver for the first time since his rookie season. The 2020 Heisman Trophy winner has had a fantastic career so far, topping the 1,000-yard threshold in three of his five seasons, and Jalen Hurts enjoyed a higher passer rating while targeting Smith than Brown in two of the past three seasons. Smith, who also lined up in the slot and out wide in almost equal proportions, will likely play a wider role this season, with Wicks opposite him and Lemon in the slot, since Lemon spent almost two-thirds of his snaps in the slot in 2025 with the Trojans. It’ll be a small core — none of the three stand taller than 6’0″ — but a sure-handed and relatively talented one.
Rookie wide receivers can be fickle. Last season, the Carolina Panthers’ Tetairoa McMillan hit the ground running, but only he and Emeka Egbuka really thrived. The trio of Brian Thomas Jr., Malik Nabers, and Ladd McConkey were all highly productive in 2024, but Marvin Harrison Jr., expected to be the best from that class, finished as just WR30. It’s plausible that Lemon, who barely played in his first year before producing a modest sophomore year and a dominant junior year, could take some time adjusting to the NFL level. It’s also plausible that his sure hands make him an appealing target early on, especially in comparison to Wicks, who flashed steady hands last season but recorded nine drops in 2024. Smith is by far the safest of the three, given Hurts’ clear trust in him, but Lemon has some upside to be WR2 over Wicks.
Hurts’ strengths could work in Lemon’s favor. In 2025, his best zone was the deep middle, as he registered a 99.9 PFF grade on throws launched more than 20 yards through the air in between the numbers, and Hurts recorded his highest PFF grade in that zone as well. In general, Lemon was most effective in between the numbers, and for three of the four levels of depth, Hurts recorded his highest grade on throws up the middle. Plus, new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion has prioritized crossing routes in his offense, allowing Hurts to throw up the middle with more regularity.
So far, Lemon has been drafted with an ADP of 105.8, the second-highest among the team’s wide receivers and the second-highest among rookie pass-catchers. He’s mostly in the range of teams’ WR2’s, and that sounds about right; Philadelphia’s offense is expected to operate a run-first approach, featuring designed runs for Hurts and plenty of carries for Saquon Barkley. It’s possible that Lemon could put up starter-worthy numbers against the right opponents, but I’d bank on him predominantly being a FLEX or bench option against teams with better slot corners.
