August 28, 2026
Eric Hartline/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Makai Lemon had a forgettable first summer in the NFL.
The ball bobbled off Makai Lemon's hands and fell right into the grasp of defensive back Tacario Davis for the pick.
That capped a forgettable night for the Eagles rookie, to close out a forgettable summer.
The first-round receiver played with the reserves during the early part of Friday night's preseason finale against the Bengals – that ended as a 30-13 Eagles loss – in an effort to make up for lost time due to injury.
But by the time he was done, Lemon had three receptions for just three yards on five targets, with the last being that Tanner McKee pass that deflected off his hands for the second-quarter interception.
Bobo said no-no.#CINatPHI on CBS/Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/w10BmAHb0B
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) August 29, 2026
But that play isn't one to pin on McKee's sloppiness – there's plenty of other spots to do that.
Lemon, the 20th overall draft pick and a young wideout the Eagles planned to have as a key part of a post-A.J. Brown offense, needed to catch that one.
He needed to work himself open, too, and should've been able to against defenders much closer to the bottom of Cincinnati's depth chart, but he couldn't.
Nice play here by Bengals rookie cornerback Tacario Davis. He was 1-on-1 with Eagles first round pick Makai Lemon🏈 pic.twitter.com/oVvWvNSoJT
— James Rapien (@JamesRapien) August 29, 2026
And maybe he still will be, eventually.
But right now? No. Not yet.
For as trivial as a third preseason game can usually be in the NFL, especially for projected starters, Friday night's finale at Lincoln Financial Field at least was able to make that much clear.
Lemon needs time.
Consecutive hamstring injuries, to the same leg, cost Lemon considerable time through spring OTAs and the majority of training camp.
By the time the 22-year-old was able to get back on the field this summer, camp was winding down, the open practice at the Linc was approaching, and while he was sidelined, other receivers like Dontayvion Wicks and undrafted find Darius Cooper were continually standing out, creating outlets for Hurts, and finding a groove within the new offense.
Once Lemon was able to return, it was expected that the Eagles might force-feed him passes in an accelerated effort to get him up to speed, and that did somewhat play out during the open practice on Tuesday night.
But mostly, he made his catches on short passes, had one of his routes jumped for a Riq Woolen interception, and though he did break wide open for a red-zone touchdown pass, it was on busted coverage and with Lemon wheeling out from the offensive backfield rather than at the line of scrimmage.
Then came Friday night's preseason dud, when, all talent considered, he probably should've been the best player on the field for the plays he was out there.
Instead, he was just kind of there, and it sure didn't help that he muffed a second-half punt later on, which he did recover, but looked at a loss after going back to the sideline.
DeVonta Smith just came over to chat with Makai Lemon after the muffed punt: pic.twitter.com/OV1VKX1BX3
— EJ Smith (@EJSmith94) August 29, 2026
He needs time, but probably a lot more than the Eagles, and most fans, would've liked, especially since the team's expectations are very much still aimed at another Super Bowl.
Maybe he still will be the next No. 2 receiver the Eagles imagined when they drafted him out of USC back in April, which made it undeniable that A.J. Brown was on his way out.
The talent is there, and missing so much time while getting acclimated to a new team and the higher speed of the pro game is a brutal disadvantage for any rookie.
But right now, Lemon just doesn't look like a plug-and-play receiver who can bring instant results.
Right now, leaving Friday night, he left that distinct concern of the possibility of ending up like a Reggie Brown, or a Jordan Matthews, or a Nelson Agholor – where you got the pieces of how good they could be as receivers, but just never got the entire puzzle put together.
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