Eagles Should Look Inward for Best Way to Maximize Makai Lemon

Makai Lemon already has a mentor in the Philadelphia Eagles organization. An Obi-Wan Kenobi to his Luke Skywalker.

Lemon has been hanging around DeVonta Smith since arriving in Philadelphia, learning from the No. 1 receiver the ins-and-outs of the NFL.

"I wasn’t trying to pick his brain too much," Lemon said at the Jefferson Health Training Complex last week. " He said I’m going to love it. You came to a great organization, a great team, a brotherhood.

"So I’m super excited to get around the guys and it was definitely great meeting him and chopping it up with him."

Lemon is essentially taking Smith's role as the WR2. There will be a competition of course once A.J. Brown is dealt and Smith is elevated to WR1, but the Eagles could have a Smith clone in Lemon.

The offense may look different and favor Lemon's skill set, setting himself up for early success in year one. Could the Eagles expect a similar impact from Lemon as they did from Smith in year one?

The 'dawg' mentality

Lemon has the same traits has Smith when it comes to football. Both are football junkies that live the sport and work as hard as they can to get better. If there's an opportunity, they seize it.

The vibes are seemingly clicking between the two off the field, since both have similar interests in the game. Helps they both play the same position.

"When you step on that field, you already know that he got that dawg mentality," Lemon said. "So I (think) me and him are going to click."

Smith is a smooth route runner like Lemon, and can create yards after the catch. The Eagles offense hasn't tailed toward Smith's and Leon's strengths over the past few seasons, but that will change under Sean Mannion.

Based on how the Eagles built their wide receiver room, their strenths are finding seams in the middle of the field and the quarterback throwing between the hashmarks. The offense is based of route running and creating yards after the catch for big plays.

That's what Lemon's biggest strenth is. Smith can be used the same way, as he was a route running savant coming out of Alabama. There are reasons why Lemon is expected to have an instant impact in this offense, similar to Smith when he put up a franchise rookie-record 916 receiving yards in 2021.

"Once you have a guy like that on your team, lined up next to you, I feel like that’s only going to make you better,' Lemon said. "I feel like we can help each other in any way."

What Lemon sees in Smith

Smith is entering the stage in his career where young receivers in the NFL looked up to him and watched him shine. Even though Smith is six years removed from winning the Heisman Trophy and dominating college football, young players like Lemon remember the impact Smith had on their football careers.

Smith is listed as 6-0, 170. Lemon 5-11, 192.

There's a connection with how Smith plays the game, and how Lemon drew inspiration from it.

"Even though he’s not the biggest guy, not the tallest guy on the field, but having that heart makes him such an impact player," Lemon said. "That’s what sticks out to me."

The Eagles don't have to look to far in how to use Lemon. he can learn from Smith the way Quinyon Mitchell learned from Darius Slay in year one.

The franchise saw how that turned out for Mitchell, who was a First Team All-Pro in his second season and one of the best cornerbacks in football. Perhaps Lemon can do the same at wide receiver.

The path Luke Skywalker took worked out well.

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