Top NFL Landing Spots For Makai Lemon: Will The USC Wide Receiver Be A Top 10 Pick?

The 2026 NFL Draft is now just around the corner. It is set to kick off on April 23 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On Night 1, the top prospects in the country will hear their names called by their new NFL team in the first round of the draft.

One player who is a lock to be selected in the first round, and most likely in the top half of the draft, is former USC wide receiver Makai Lemon. He is an elite prospect, and we currently have him ranked as the No. 2 wide receiver in this draft class. We have him sandwiched between our top wideout, Carnell Tate, and Jordyn Tyson coming in at No. 3.

The only thing keeping him out of the top spot is the fact that he doesn't translate as a true outside WR1 on the next level. He will more than likely be utilized as a slot receiver in the NFL. These are the top landing spots for Makai Lemon in the NFL Draft.

Los Angles Rams

This is where we currently have Lemon projected to land in the NFL Draft at pick No. 13. He is a perfect fit in Sean McVay's offense and a great complement for Puka Nacua in the Rams WR corps.

While they currently still have Davante Adams, he is 33 years old and will turn 34 during the 2026 season. Even if he plays at the same level for the Rams this season, it will likely be his last with the team. That's if it is even on their initial 53-man roster. There have been rumors that he has been mentioned in trade discussions.

Lemon could step in and form an elite WR duo with Nacua for Matthew Stafford to throw to. He could also be a huge help for the next Rams quarterback who inevitably replaces Stafford at some point in the next few seasons.

Washington Commanders

Terry McLaurin will be entering the 2026 season just days away from his 31st birthday and coming off his worst professional season. With Deebo Samuel out in Washington, it's reasonable to think that the Commanders could go after a stud wide receiver to pair with quarterback Jayden Daniels with their first-round pick. That duo could give defensive backs in the NFC East problems for a long time.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints may have struck gold with Tyler Shough. While they do have Chris Olave, he's their only true threat in the passing attack and has dealt with serious concussion issues.

With the eighth pick in the NFL Draft, they could target Lemon to get their young quarterback another top option in the passing attack. This is definitely a position of need for the Saints, especially after trading Rashid Shaheed at last season's trade deadline.

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