Eagles Rookies Embracing City Of Brotherly Love: What Eli Stowers And Makai Lemon Can Accomplish Working Together

The top draft picks have been out and about in the city, while the two Coles, both Day 3 picks, are neophytes to Philadelphia.

Apr 24, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles 1st round draft pick Makai Lemon prepares to ring the bell during pregame ceremony before Philadelphia 76ers game against the Boston Celtics at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA – Slowly but surely, Eagles rookies are being immersed in Philly culture, and, for a couple newcomers, got an up-close look at the passion for the city’s sports teams.

Prior to Game 3 of the Eagles-Celtics playoff series, first-round pick Makai Lemon got to ring the bell.

“I’m loving the city more and more as I’m here,” said the receiver on Thursday, which was the eve of the opening of Eagles’ rookie camp. “It was a great experience to be at the Sixers game, the love of Philly.”

Second-round pick Eli Stowers went to Game 4 of the Flyers-Penguins playoff series on Saturday night, less than 24 hours after he was drafted in the second round.

“That was really fun,” said Stowers. “I've always enjoyed going to hockey games. They're always really energetic, and that was one of the most energetic ones I've ever been to. So, yeah, it was fun.”

Stowers was shown on the Jumbotron.

“That was cool, just to get, um, I guess, a good response from the people in Philly,” he said.

Eli Stowers Excited To Work With Makai Lemon

Eli Stowers meets reporters on the eve of the Eagles rookie minicamp. | Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

Stowers and Lemon met for the first on Thursday and ate lunch together.

“I know it's gonna be really good for us here, and we're just excited to get to work, man,” said the tight end from Vanderbilt. “We don't really know exactly what it's gonna look like yet. We just want to put our head down and work and get back to playing football (Friday).”

Then, there are the two Coles, teammates from North Dakota State. They ran into each other in the hotel lobby where they are being housed for this weekend’s Eagles rookie minicamp and had breakfast together. Neither Cole Payton nor Cole Wisniewski are familiar with the City of Brotherly Love.

Payton, the quarterback taken in the fifth round on Day 3 of the draft, spent one or two days - he couldn’t remember – in a hospital in Philly after hand surgery following his last season at NDSU.

“I haven’t been really able to explore yet, but just excited about the culture, the people, and the tradition,” he said. “I haven’t been able to explore much, but it’s been great so far.”

For Wisniewski, it’s his first time ever being in Philly, but word of the fan base’s passion for sports is not foreign to the safety.

“I think everyone in the country knows how passionate this media market and fan base is,” he said. “I think all the fans for all the professional sports teams in the area, but especially the Eagles, you see it in movies, too. It shows up everywhere, I think especially two years ago (after the Eagles’ Super Bowl championship) you really saw it a lot.”