The Opening Drive 4/19: Makai Lemon a Talented but Tough Evaluation for the Browns

The USC-product has plenty of talent but selecting him sixth overall is a dicey decision.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 30: Makai Lemon #6 of the USC Trojans runs out of the tunnel before the game against the Missouri State Bears at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 30, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

There is no shortage of intriguing top end wide receiver options, but each of them come with some element of their profile that makes you pause. That is no different for Makai Lemon. He won the 2025 Biletnikoff Award by doing something that smaller receivers are not supposed to be able to do — produce at every level of the field, in traffic, against pressure, and in the moments that matter most. He has a very real chance to be the best receiver in this draft class who will make an NFL team look very smart for taking him, and the only real debate is how early they will have to do it given some risk in the profile.

The production in his final season at USC was strong. Lemon led the Power Four conferences in receiving yards with 1,156 in the regular season and yards per game at 96.3, finishing with 74 receptions in 12 games and 13 total touchdowns including two rushing scores. Over his three-year career he totaled 137 catches for 2,008 yards and 14 touchdowns — numbers that tell the story of a player who was his team’s engine, not a complementary piece. The advanced metrics back the eye test just as firmly. His 3.72 yards per route run was the highest mark among top-100 wide receiver prospects, and his yards after catch over expectation was similarly elite. When the ball is in his hands, he’s as electric as anyone in the class.