One NFL Team Keeps Getting Linked to USC Trojans Star Makai Lemon

During the evaluation process before the 2026 NFL Draft, USC Trojans' wide receiver Makai Lemon has been linked to one team in particular.

Sep 13, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) warms up before the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

USC Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon had a very successful season in 2025 and looks to be one of the top wide receivers in the 2026 NFL Draft. As a result of this attention in the draft, there is one particular team that appears to be linked to drafting Lemon near the top of the first round. 

Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay in the first half during the NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

LA Rams Culture of Toughness

Recently, on the Pat McAfee show, NFL insider Peter Schrager shared some comments on the interest the Los Angeles Rams could have in Lemon.

“Makai Lemon is everything that Les Snead, Sean McVay, and wide receivers coach Eric Yarber love. He is tough as nails. One of these guys that is just an absolute dawg,” said Schrager. 

"Makai Lemon is everything that Les Snead and Sean McVay love..

He is tough as nails and he's an absolute dawg"@PSchrags #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/zwjkeySqce

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 7, 2026

As Schrager alluded to, Lemon possesses great toughness, and as a receiver, that is a quality that can often set apart the good receivers from the great receivers. That toughness gives Lemon the mentality to make any catch over the middle of the field, regardless of the hits he could take from the defense.

Lemon won the Biletnikoff award after a standout season at USC, but his Trojans career was exemplified by his toughness. Lemon lined up at defensive back as a freshman to help fill a depth need on the roster, and once he was able to shine at wide receiver, he continually made highlight catches.

Lemon finished his USC career with 137 total catches for 2,008 yards and 14 touchdowns in three seasons.

The Rams could be looking to add up on weapons for quarterback Matthew Stafford, and Lemon could fit right in the slot with the Los Angeles offense.

Sep 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) runs for a touchdown against the Michigan State Spartans during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Makai Lemon’s Schematic Fit With Rams

“Makai Lemon would be the perfect addition to that offense, and I just know what McVay looks for. It’s toughness, it’s grittiness, and it’s a guy who can make plays in traffic. To me, Makai Lemon to the Rams makes a ton of sense,” added Schrager.

Schrager reinforced the point that Lemon could add another element to the LA offense on top of what they already have. At USC, Lemon showed he had the skillset to make contested catches in traffic but also create explosive plays in the open field off screens and underneath routes. 

In addition to wide receivers Davante Adams and Puka Nacua on the outside, Lemon could become the perfect complement for McVay to solidify the slot for the long term. Lemon, because of his physicality, could also be a great contributor in the run game as a blocker for LA to help running back Kyren Williams get past the second and third levels of the defense.

Sep 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) runs down field for a touchdown on a pass play during the first half against the Georgia Southern Eaglesat Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Lemon also has the potential to provide tremendous versatility as a gadget player in any NFL offense with the skillset to make throws and be effective as a rusher.

No matter how McVay and the Rams decide to use Lemon, this selection could be the final piece to making an unstoppable offense in the NFL for the 2026 season. 

Throughout the rest of the draft process, all the NFL teams will be looking at Lemon’s key traits of physicality, toughness, versatility, and production to see if they deem him worthy of a selection early in the draft. 

However, as of now, it appears quite likely that Lemon will be a Ram when the 2026 NFL season begins. 

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