🏈 Who Will Draft Makai Lemon? 2026 NFL Draft Projection, Scouting Report & Team Prediction

There's a strong history of Biletnikoff Award winners being selected in the first round of the NFL draft. This year's Biletnikoff recipient is expected to become the seventh winner in the last eight years to be picked in Round 1 ... but who will draft Makai Lemon?

The Los Angeles Rams (No. 13) and Miami Dolphins (No. 11) are the biggest favorites to select Lemon, according to prediction market apps. The All-American is set to become the third USC wide receiver drafted in the first round since 2022, but it's a former fourth-round Trojan whom Lemon is often compared to as a prospect.  

I've spent the past year watching film and grading every top prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft. Below, I break down Lemon's draft profile, including his biggest strengths and weaknesses; my full scouting report and draft grade on Lemon; and which team I expect to draft the former Trojans' star in the first round on Thursday, April 23, as part of our 2026 NFL Draft predictions. 

📝 Makai Lemon draft profile

For more on the NFL draft, check out the 2026 NFL Draft odds.

Makai Lemon strengths

Without a doubt, the part of Lemon's game that stands out the most are his ball skills. He catches almost everything, including 50/50 balls, despite being an undersized player who projects as a slot in the NFL. Lemon had just four drops in three years at USC, including a drop rate of only 2.2% over his final two seasons.

And while he lacks size, he managed a 71.4% contested catch rate this past season because of his top-notch ball tracking, body control, and aggressiveness in how he attacks and high-points the football. That physicality shows up in his YAC, too, where he was 10th nationally in forced missed tackles on receptions this past season (21).

Lemon is also a high-IQ route runner who has a PhD in stem work. He makes up for average explosiveness with his quickness when changing direction, which helps him keep speed in and out of his breaks. He's arguably the best in the class at finding holes in zone coverage, too. This is a high-floor prospect. 

Makai Lemon weaknesses

While Lemon has the makeup of a plug-and-play slot with a high floor, his weaknesses are clear. The Biletnikoff winner is undersized and not overly impressive as an athlete, which could limit him to playing purely as a slot receiver in the NFL.

Without the speed to win vertically and lacking the size and strength to beat physical press corners, Lemon's ceiling is lower than that of the other top wide receiver prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft. 

Lemon only played out wide on 22.6% of his snaps in his last two seasons at USC, while lining up in the slot on 77.4% of his snaps. That makes him less schematically versatile than other top receiver prospects.

Makai Lemon scouting report

A former top-50 national recruit, Lemon played sparingly as a freshman for Lincoln Riley, and even played behind fellow 2026 NFL Draft prospect Zachariah Branch (who would go on to transfer to Georgia). However, Lemon took a major leap as a sophomore, leading the Trojans in receptions (52) and receiving yards (764).

He closed out his sophomore season with two flashy games against Notre Dame and Texas A&M, riding that momentum into 2025, where he was among the best playmakers in the country. Lemon won the Biletnikoff by finishing top 12 nationally in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.

Lemon's efficiency was on full display throughout the season, with him ranking in the top five in the Power Four in yards per route run (3.13) and first down receptions (50). 

Although Lemon's ceiling isn't the highest, he could be among the most impactful rookies early on if he lands with a slot-needy team. Lemon's built to be a chain mover who wins with his proficiency as a route runner, ability to create after the catch, and his football IQ.

While he may not have an All-Pro ceiling, Lemon should be a starting slot in the NFL for the next decade with his skill set and could turn into a Pro Bowl player in the right system.

Makai Lemon draft grade

• 7.20 (mid-1st round)

🔮 Who will draft Makai Lemon?

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Makai Lemon draft projection & landing spots

With the 2026 NFL Draft having a strong wide receiver class that could see as many as six taken in the first round, Lemon is projected to go somewhere in the teens. With that said, it wouldn't be shocking to see him slip into the 20s, given his ceiling as a prospect.

Still, the Rams (32% chance of drafting Lemon) have been a popular team to match the All-American with because of Sean McVay and Les Snead's need for a third receiver to complement Puka Nacua, who's in a contract year, and Davante Adams, who's turning 34 in December.

The Dolphins (17% chance) are another team that would make a lot of sense for Lemon, with Miami having the worst wide receiver corps in the NFL. But No. 11 is early, and new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan comes from a Green Bay Packers organization that's historically strict with size thresholds for wide receivers. 

The New York Jets (11% chance) are a team in the right range for Lemon that could immediately use his services. The Jets could use the No. 16 pick on Lemon, and he would be a perfect fit to fill their massive hole in the slot. 

Prediction: Makai Lemon to the Jets

This could be the best-case scenario for both Lemon and the Jets. New York needs to hit a few doubles in this draft to set up for next year, when they could potentially select a top-tier QB prospect like Arch Manning or Dante Moore, and Lemon would give them a high-floor plug-and-play slot.

With Garrett Wilson already being the Batman in Gotham, adding Lemon as Robin would alleviate some of the pressure on the Pro Bowler. Wilson also predominantly plays outside (only 33% of his career snaps have come in the slot), so Lemon would step right into the slot, where his skill set best fits.