NFL Insiders Sending a Message About USC Receiver Makai Lemon

Following the conclusion of the NFL Combine and USC’s Pro Day, it is almost time for the NFL Draft, which means scouts are working on their final rankings for the prospects. As far as the receivers go, USC Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon has an opportunity to be drafted at the high end of the first round.

With that in mind, there is a certain being sent about Makai Lemon when it comes to his future in the NFL and who he compares to.

Undersized Receivers

Lemon’s fit in the NFL could end up being more scheme-dependent, in addition to evaluating his talent level. Based on his production in college and rankings from draft experts like Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks, Lemon projects to be a top-three receiver in this draft.

Standing at 5-11 and 195 pounds, Lemon looks to line up more in the slot when he makes the transition to the NFL. At USC, Lemon was a very reliable target for quarterback Jayden Maiava in the slot on screens, crossing routes, and was even able to use his physicality to win contested catches against cornerbacks and safeties.

This combination of production, physicality, and size is not new for receivers who have had a successful career in the NFL. In his top 100 NFL Draft prospect rankings, Justin Melo of NFL Draft on SI compared Lemon to the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

St. Brown and Smith-Njigba are two of the more successful receivers in the NFL right now and have been able to produce from the slot. This was highlighted by Smith-Njigba bringing home NFL Offensive Player of the Year Honors from the 2025 season.

The main message here from several analysts is that slot receivers who are productive in college can also be productive in the NFL and could even be elite. It does help to have more size, but the competitiveness Lemon displays compares very similarly to St. Brown and Smith-Njigba, which could allow Lemon to be wildly successful in the NFL, even as a slot receiver.

The key factor for Lemon is where he is drafted and how they opt to use him.

Makai Lemon’s High-Level College Production

During his college career, Lemon progressed every single season, which culminated in his best collegiate season yet in his 2025 campaign. Last season, Lemon recorded 79 receptions for 1,156 yards, 11 touchdowns, and an average of 14.6 yards per reception.

Throughout the 2025 season, Lemon showcased his talent weekly. He consistently beat man coverage on crossing routes across the field, created explosive plays on screen passes, won deep down the field, in addition to several other ways USC coach Lincoln Riley used Lemon across the Trojans’ offensive formations.

One of Lemon’s biggest strengths throughout the season was his ability to win in contested catch situations against man coverage in the red zone. When the Trojans got to the red zone, there was little doubt that at least one play would go to Lemon on a fade ball, which for him was a very high percentage play.

Lemon also showed tremendous versatility as an offensive weapon, which included Riley drawing up a wide receiver pass where Lemon threw a touchdown pass against the Oregon Ducks.

The way Lemon could be productive no matter how USC used him could be a huge benefit for any NFL team interested in using a pick in April’s NFL Draft to bring him onto their roster for next season. Throughout this process, it will be interesting to see which teams value Lemon’s production more than the one potential negative, his size.

There have been plenty of undersized receivers who have been successful in the NFL, and Lemon has an opportunity to follow along that path with his physicality, competitiveness, and versatility.

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