Makai Lemon should be viewed as top wide receiver in the class
· Yahoo Sports
This NFL draft class is loaded with talent that is ready to make an impact at receiver. Makai Lemon has talent, grit, and comparisons that make experts sold that he will be the next great receiver out of USC. Many may not like how he performs at the podium, but his play on the field is undeniable, and that is why he won last season's Biletnikoff Award.
Having been named the best receiver in college football, it should be a guarantee that he is viewed as the top guy in this class. That has not been the case this offseason, as experts have wavered and flipped. Some days it is Carnell Tate, and other days it is Jordan Tyson. When analysts break down the tape, Makai Lemon sticks out as the receiver with the highest ceiling.
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Carnell Tate, Jordan Tyson, and Denzel Boston each have a bigger frame and may have bigger athletic abilities, but to be a receiver, it takes way more than that to excel in the NFL. Some of the top receivers in the NFL are elite and rank at the top because of how much of a technician they are, and other critical traits. Puka Nacua is not the most physically or athletically gifted, but he is someone who can get open on a consistent basis. Makai Lemon embodies that to a T. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a 1800-yard receiving season last season, and a big theme around his game is that he is such a fluid route runner and one of the smoothest receivers in the league.
Makai Lemon embodies the traits of the newer wave of elite receivers, and those guys appear to be quarterback-proof. I think no matter what team Lemon lands with, he will live up to the hype and expectations. That should be what classifies him as the top guy in this class at his position.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC's Makai Lemon is the game changer in 2026 NFL draft class