The Philadelphia Eagles traded up within the first spherical to seize a large receiver, they usually did it by coping with a division rival.
Philadelphia moved from No. 23 to No. 20 in a swap with the Dallas Cowboys, giving up its first-rounder plus each fourth-round picks at No. 114 and No. 137 to land USC’s Makai Lemon.
Lemon brings strong route-running instincts and is aware of how one can discover tender spots in protection. At 5-foot-11 and 195 kilos, he suits the mould of a slot weapon on the subsequent stage. However the determination to draft him may say extra about A.J. Brown’s future in Philadelphia than anything.
Did Eagles simply trace at A.J. Brown transfer?
The Eagles already loaded up at receiver this offseason. They added Marquise Brown, Dontayvion Wicks and Elijah Moore to a room that also options three-time All-Professional A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, who crossed 1,000 yards in three of his 5 seasons.
There is not any scarcity of expertise on the place, which makes the Lemon decide stand out much more. Nonetheless, even NFL Community’s Ian Rapoport talked about throughout the draft broadcast that Philadelphia seemed to be making ready for all times with out Brown.
Brown’s frustration with the offense grew to become a storyline all through the 2025 season, and commerce rumors by no means actually went away. Buying and selling up in a division deal to seize Lemon solely strengthened that perception. Brown’s exit from Philadelphia is beginning to look inevitable.
Makai Lemon’s enormous USC season pays off
Lemon put collectively a monster 12 months with the Trojans in 2025. He gained the Biletnikoff Award because the nation’s prime receiver and earned first-team Related Press All-American and first-team All-Large Ten honors.
Lemon completed eighth within the FBS with 1,156 receiving yards on 79 catches, good for a 14.6-yard common. He discovered the top zone 11 instances, which tied for ninth nationally. Throughout 12 begins, he contributed as a rusher, kick returner, punt returner and even threw a landing cross.
