Makai Lemon’s best night as an Eagle came in the kind of game that can easily get buried. Philadelphia lost to the Dallas Cowboys 38-21, the locker room was thinning out in the early hours, and the result left plenty of room for more front-office grumbling. But the rookie receiver’s performance demanded attention anyway.
Lemon caught seven passes for 67 yards and scored on a hard-earned 4-yard touchdown on third-and-goal. He also helped extend the drive with a 15-yard reception on fourth-and-one, the sort of play that hints at why the Eagles used a first-round pick on him. For a team whose season “appears to be going nowhere,” his weekly progress has become one of the few bright spots worth watching.
“I feel like that’s the way anything goes,” said Lemon. “The more you do something, the more you're gonna get comfortable at it. That's where I'm at.”
That comfort level was obvious against Dallas, and quarterback Tanner McKee saw it up close on the touchdown throw. McKee said Lemon’s ability with the ball in his hands stands out, along with his strength and reliable hands.
"He's a tough player. He canmake people miss with the ball in his hands.
He can run people over, and he has great hands.That touchdown pass that he caught was a little bit behind him. They had a whole player thatwas coming across the middle, so I wanted to throw it to his body.
It was a little more outside hisframe than I wanted it, and he made a great grab. I just think he's a really good player.”
Lemon’s emergence lands at a time when general manager Howie Roseman has been under heavy fire from fans for the last two drafts. The criticism has been loud, with many in the fan base saying the moves haven’t been good enough.
There is, though, a more complicated picture underneath the noise. In 2025, the Eagles may have found their future center in fifth-round pick Drew Kendall.
The same draft brought Jihaad Campbell, the next-to-last pick in the first round, though he still has plenty to clean up. Even so, Campbell was one of the last players to leave the locker room after the Cowboys loss while other defenders disappeared without speaking about their poor play.
Safety Drew Mukuba, a second-round pick in 2025, may yet develop as well. But the fact remains that the final four players Roseman selected in that class are already off the roster, which doesn’t exactly soften the criticism.
The 2026 draft class is starting to offer some counterweight. Lemon is the headliner, but third-round tackle Markel Bell and seventh-round outside linebacker Keyshawn James-Newby have also begun to stand out. James-Newby has been elevated from the practice squad over the last two weeks, adding another young player to the evaluation pile.
Bell, in particular, has drawn strong praise from Nick Sirianni. The head coach said Monday night was the best Bell has played all season, and it came in only his third start.
“Every time he goes out there and practices and plays, I think he gets better,” said Sirianni. “He's obviously very talented.
I'm excited that we have him here on our football team. He deeply cares.
He's tough. He loves football, and I think that can go a long way.”
Sirianni also singled out Lemon after the game, saying the rookie’s growth has been hard to miss.
“I think we've all seen the growth of Makai Lemon, who I think is really going to be a good football player and already is,” said Sirianni. “We know he's talented, but he has everything.
He's got all the right stuff in my opinion. He's tough.
He works his butt off. He loves this game.
He cares deeply and excited about that.”
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