Makai Lemon Complicates Front Office Criticism in Eagles' Disappointing Season

PHILADELPHIA—The locker room was mostly empty as Eagles rookie receiver Makai Lemon put the finishing touches on the outfit he’d wear into the unseasonably mild South Philly night in Tuesday morning's wee hours. Lemon had just had a career night, but it came in a loss to the rival Dallas Cowboys, 38-21.

His performance shouldn’t get overlooked. Nor should the fact that the first-round pick has progressed each week and is proving why general manager Howie Roseman may have gotten this pick correct.

“I feel like that’s the way anything goes,” said Lemon. “The more you do something, the more you're gonna get comfortable at it. That's where I'm at.”

Added quarterback Tanner McKee, who threw him his first career TD: "He's a tough player. He can
make people miss with the ball in his hands. He can run people over, and he has great hands.
That touchdown pass that he caught was a little bit behind him. They had a whole player that
was coming across the middle, so I wanted to throw it to his body. It was a little more outside his
frame than I wanted it, and he made a great grab. I just think he's a really good player.”

Roseman has been under the fans’ microscope for the past two drafts. Not good enough is what many in the fan base have been saying.

When you look closer, you see that the GM may have found the future at center in 2025’s fifth-round pick Drew Kendall. That year also produced Jihaad Campbell with the next-to-last pick in the first round, and he has work to do to improve, but he was one of the last players to leave the locker room after losing to the Cowboys, while others on the defensive side vanished into the night, declining to say anything about their poor play.

Maybe safety Drew Mukuba figures it out, too, after arriving in the second round of ’25, but it doesn’t help the final four players taken that year, among the 10 picks Roseman made, are already off the team.

Then there’s the 2026 class, with Lemon as the headliner, but others are already making their mark, including third-round offensive tackle Markel Bell and seventh-round outside linebacker Keyshawn James-Newby, who has been elevated from the practice squad over the past two weeks.

Evaluation time could be coming soon for Eagles

Markell Bell — Sep 28, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Markel Bell (72) is seen against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In this season that appears to be going nowhere, it could be evaluation time for several players taken in the draft in the past two years. Bell has already shown the potential to be the starting right tackle for a decade.

“Every time he goes out there and practices and plays, I think he gets better,” said head coach Nick Sirianni. “He's obviously very talented. I'm excited that we have him here on our football team. He deeply cares. He's tough. He loves football, and I think that can go a long way.”

Sirianni called Monday night’s game the best Bell has played this season, and it was just his third start.

Monday night was Lemon’s best game. He finished with seven catches for 67 yards, including a tough 4-yard touchdown on third-and-goal. He helped keep the drive alive with a 15-yard catch on fourth-and-one.

“I think we've all seen the growth of Makai Lemon, who I think is really going to be a good football player and already is,” said Sirianni. “We know he's talented, but he has everything. He's got all the right stuff in my opinion. He's tough. He works his butt off. He loves this game. He cares deeply and excited about that.”

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