What NFL Scouts Are Saying About USC's Top Prospects

The USC Trojans are expected to be well-represented at the 2026 NFL Draft thanks not only to wide receiver Makai Lemon but also other former Trojans like defensive backs Kamari Ramsey, Bishop Fitzgerald, and wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane.

With multiple USC prospects expected to hear their names called at some point in the NFL Draft, what are NFL scouts thinking and revealing about them?

Lemon has been projected as a first-round pick before he even officially declared for the draft, but how high is his real ceiling? As for Ramsey, how has he fared meeting teams during the pre-draft process?

Makai Lemon

Former USC Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon has drawn comparisons to fellow former Trojans star, Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and one NFL scout sees the potential:

“He could come in and be one of the top 10 slots in the league on Day 1 of camp, in my opinion. Great hands and fiercely competitive," said an AFC scouting director per NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein

Lemon won the Biletnikoff Award as the most outstanding receiver in college football in 2025, and he figures to be taken in the first half of the first round. Some questions regarding his size have come up, and Lemon has been projected anywhere from a top-10 pick to the No. 15 to No. 20 range.

Ohio State's Carnell Tate is projected by many to be the first receiver selected, but Lemon has a high chance of being the second receiver off the board.

Kamari Ramsey

Former USC safety Kamari Ramsey was the Trojans' leader on defense as he wore the green dot for former Trojans defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn. While he's needed as a vocal leader on the field, Ramsey's focus off of the field has made an impression on at least one NFL scout:

“Not a man of many words … goal-oriented and very intentional with his decisions," an NFL scout said on Ramsey, per The Athletic's Dane Brugler.

Ramsey spent two seasons at UCLA before transferring to USC, and he finished his career with 93 solo tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 11 passes defended, two interceptions, two sacks, and two forced fumbles.

Ja'Kobi Lane

USC wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane was the other half of the Trojans' dynamic receiving duo alongside Lemon, but Lane is expected to be selected later in the draft than Lemon.

While not an NFL scout, former NFL receiver Steve Smith Sr. evaluated Lane and questioned his struggles against the press, specifically in the game against Notre Dame. In the Trojans' loss to the Fighting Irish, Lane finished with six receptions for 111 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

Lane measured at 6-4, 200 with 10.5-inch hands at the NFL Combine, and he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds. With a high number of receivers continually available at the draft, Lane's projection is hard to pin down between Friday (Rounds 2-3) and Saturday (Rounds 4-7).

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