Former NFL Scout Impressed by USC Receiver Makai Lemon

Good hands.

This is the most important trait a wide receiver can have, and USC wide receiver Makai Lemon checks that box.

2024:

52 catches

73 targets

71.2% catch rate

And some of these catches left me saying, “wow,” as the game film played in front of my eyes on my laptop.

Lemon is twitchy.

⎯ and sudden.

Lemon is like a vapor who can slam on the brakes, redirect, and hit the gas in the blink of an eye, leaving the cornerback who’s in coverage searching for answers.

He’s good.

He’s that good on his 2024 tape.

There are other things I liked about Lemon as well.

In fact, there’s not much I didn’t like about him, which is another great sign. I’m probably the hardest grader out there. I scour the tape for traits, patterns, and tendencies like an investigator starving for clues. I love the game and have little tolerance for those who don’t.

Tough critic.

Yeah, that’s me.

When I sit down to grade prospects, I slip on my proverbial “NFL colored glasses” and compare what I’m watching to what has been proven to work and not work at the next level.

Lemon passed the eye test.

Route architect

Point blank ⎯

Lemon is tough to keep up with for those who are attempting to cover him.

He charges hard out of the gate when the ball is snapped, and he knows how to set up cornerbacks before making his move to get open.

Lemon builds his routes.

It’s like a science.

No steps are wasted.

His route running is sharp, sophisticated, and calculated.

He knows how to create space and nice throwing windows for his quarterback to throw it to him.

The only other receiver I’ve ever labeled as a “route architect” was Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka, who was one of my favorite receivers I’ve ever evaluated. I maintained a first-round grade on Egbuka’s 2022, 2023, and 2024 game film before he was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

There’s no question, there are shades of Egbuka in Lemon when I went back and read my Egbuka scouting report.

YAC

This stands for “yards after catch,” and it’s yet another thing Lemon excels at.

He’s tough, has good vision, and he’s not one of these receivers who likes to make the grab and scamper out of bounds. No, Lemon showed he can weave through traffic after the catch, and he proved he’s determined.

He’s a legit YAC threat.

Per Pro Football Focus, Lemon picked up 379 yards after the catch last season.

Deep game

Lemon is also more than a short-to-intermediate target.

He also proved he can get deep. Granted, he has good and not great football-playing speed. In other words, he’s not a burner, but he’s fast enough.

This adds to his value.

More things that he does

Lemon can return kicks ⎯

2024:

• 19 kick returns
• 514 yards
• 80 Yards Long

And once in a while, he even gets involved in a trick play.

Lemon threw a touchdown pass against UCLA.

#6 Makai Lemon 5-foot-11, 195 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2025 Fall Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a First-Round prospect as of October 4, 2025

2024 game film evaluated: LSU, Utah State, Minnesota, Penn State, Maryland, Rutgers, Washington, Nebraska, UCLA, Notre Dame, and Texas A&M (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

5/11 games 5+ catches

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Smooth and polished prospect. Lines up mostly in the slot. Sometimes out wide. His signature route is the bubble screen. High level of want. Fluid. Often achieves route leverage. Can whip at breakpoints—crisp change of direction. Good concentration. Has the get-up-and-go and short-area burst. Can adjust. Good catch radius. Confident catcher. Likes to pluck the ball away from his body. Inconsistent in physically contested catch situations (four passes broken up). Competitive blocker.

What to watch for during the 2025 college football season

1. How does he look in contested catch situations?

2. How does his deep game look?

3. Consistent production?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. Featured in USA Today. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.