What had long been presumed is now official: Makai Lemon is a first round draft pick. On Thursday, the Philadelphia Eagles selected Lemon with the No. 20 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
This past season, Lemon caught 79 passes for 11,56 yards and 11 touchdowns. He became the second USC wide receiver to win the Biletnikoff Award—presented annually to the top pass catcher in the country—joining Marqise Lee in 2012, while also earning Unanimous All-American honors.
Lemon is the 534th NFL Draft pick from USC (not including AFL picks made before the two leagues merged) and the 87th first rounder. With his selection, the Trojans continued two remarkable streaks: They have had at least one player drafted every year since 1939, and at least one player go in the first three rounds every year since 2002. Both of those streaks are either the longest or tied for the longest in the country.
More recently, Lemon is the eighth USC wide receiver selected in the first two rounds of the draft in the past 14 years. He is also the third Trojan selected in the first round of the draft under head coach Lincoln Riley, joining Jordan Addison in 2023 and Caleb Williams in 2024.
Given Lemon’s track record, he should make an immediate impact in Philadelphia. Jalen Hurts will certainly be very grateful to have him as a weapon.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Philadelphia Eagles pick USC football’s Makai Lemon in 2026 NFL Draft