In classic Howie Roseman fashion, the Philadelphia Eagles had to create buzz during the NFL Draft.
Roseman and the Eagles leaped their in-state rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, to draft USC Trojan wide receiver Makai Lemon with the 20th pick of the draft.
Philadelphia’s general manager is never wasteful when it comes to draft resources. By trading up for Lemon, the organization was stamping the young talent as a player they had to have. After trading wide receiver AJ Brown to the New England Patriots, it became clear that Lemon was going to be a key piece of the Eagles’ future.
Much like the Eagles offense in general, Lemon got off to a slow start. Throughout the first six weeks, he had 18 catches on 28 targets for 127 yards.
Receivers DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks, in addition to tight end Dallas Goedert led the way in terms of targets and receptions. Less opportunity on the field meant that Lemon was going to have to make the most of his chances when they came his way.
In recent weeks, however, the opportunity of Lemon to showcase his first-round talent has been on display.
With Smith and Wicks on the shelf, Lemon has quickly risen to the team’s top receiving option. Over the past two weeks, not only has Lemon demonstrated his skill set, but has landed right in the mix with some of the top receivers in the game.
In weeks seven and eight, Lemon produced similar (and better) results for players such as Jameson Williams of the Detroit Lions, Garrett Wilson of the New York Jets, and Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings.
All these players are former first round picks, each are playing with their club’s starting quarterback, and all have for Wilson and Jefferson, are their respective team’s top offensive options. Lemon is paired with Tanner Mckee, who is for all intents and purposes a rookie himself due to his lack of playing time at the NFL level.
While the sample size is rather small, another strong performance against the New York Giants on Sunday would detect a trend in the right direction for Lemon.
With the Eagles sitting at 2-6, it would benefit them to focus their attention on the development of their younger players. Even with a player like Smith returning to the lineup, Lemon should continue to receive targets. His success in recent weeks not only demonstrates that he can handle the workload but thrive.
