Eagles Update Reveals Three Reasons Why Fans Should Be Excited About Makai Lemon

In the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles leapfrogged the Pittsburgh Steelers to draft USC wide receiver Makai Lemon.

While the Eagles lost A.J. Brown in a trade to the New England Patriots, the team landing Lemon in the first round should be a big help in making up for the departure of Brown.

As ESPN's Tim McManus shared ahead of training camp, three notable updates on Lemon reveal his expected role on the team, his usage from Sean Mannion, and one key trait that is already standing out.

"Lemon jumped into the mix with the starters and was mainly featured in the slot," McManus writes.

This first note, which has Lemon mainly in the slot, is a very noteworthy update for the Eagles' new wide receiver. Lemon might be able to play outside, but it appears the plan is to keep him as a slot WR.

Devonta Smith will be the team's No. 1 WR, with Lemon as the No. 2 WR. But, he's not going to be operating on the outside like A.J. Brown did the last few years.

Instead, Mannion will use him out of the slot, which should help get him better matchups and find ways to scheme him open.

McManus also noted that with Mannion's offense using pre-snap motion often, the "early indications suggest Lemon will be a big part of that."

The Kevin Patullo offense, and even back during the Brian Johnson era, the Eagles offense wasn't using motion nearly enough as they should've been.

But, it not only appears that pre-snap motion will be a big thing in this offense, but Lemon, the rookie WR taken in Round 1, will play a key role for the Eagles.

Lastly, McManus writes, "There were some expected growing pains, but Lemon's short-area quickness stands out."

That skill set will hopefully be a nice help for Jalen Hurts, as the team lacked that shifty receiver who can make moves after the catch last season.

Smith will be the No. 1, and the Eagles badly needed some other receiving talent on the roster to help out the beloved WR.

Lemon looks to be coming into his own as such a helpful No. 2 WR, as he's being used often in pre-snap motions, as a short-area WR who gets schemed open out of the slot in Mannion's new-look offense for the Eagles.