Makai Lemon was number 12 on Daniel Jeremiah's big board:

"Lemon is one of my favorite players in this draft. He is a wideout with a running back's body and a linebacker's temperament. He is at his best working in the slot. He wins with quickness off the line, understands how to tempo routes and consistently wins in traffic. He doesn't waste steps and he can explode in and out of the break point. He plays bigger than his size, displaying several 50/50-ball wins on elevated throws. To see his entire repertoire, just throw on the Iowa tape. He was a craftsman in that game and couldn't be covered (10 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown). He is ultra-competitive after the catch, breaking tackles and fighting for yards. Overall, Lemon is going to draw a lot of comparisons to Amon-Ra St. Brown

and they are warranted."

3 minutes ago, T-1000 said:

Jon Ritchie might have had the worst possible draft take I have heard in a long time. He said Makai Lemon was a great value pick and is a great player, but he was the wrong pick because they needed an offensive lineman. If someone doesn't like Lemon I can disagree but see your argument. Literally saying you would have passed up on the better player to fill a positional need is how draft busts happen and GM's get fired.

I am really surprised how polarizing this pick is. Howie made some bad picks back in the day reaching to fill needs and ever since he has shifted to sticking to the board and taking the best player he has been one of the best GM's in the league at drafting. Lemon was not only the best player on their board but was ranked between 10-14 by most of the top respected draft experts. As an added bonus it was also a position of need.

As far as freaking out over a 4th round pick and essentially 5th round pick (137) in a bad draft, they can easily move back from 54 or 68 and get back one of those picks and ultimately who cares because look at their last several 4th and 5th round picks.

Yea I just don’t like Lemon. But I’d also note that this is considered a pretty decent OT draft and next year isn’t. This is considered a poor wr draft with a ton of mid round depth and next year is considered a historic wr draft in round 1.

So from that standpoint, drafting a wr round 1 this year feels weird.

2 minutes ago, Sack that QB said:

I think if Eagles trade for Greenard it'll be a 2027 pick. Will have an extra 3rd for comp pick for Phillips and probably another if they trade Brown. Will have plenty of picks next year.

Yes. That should be an after the draft move. We need to see if we can get a good edge here in round 2, or 3. We have now traded too many picks away from this draft class.

Just now, eagle45 said:

Yea I just don’t like Lemon. But I’d also note that this is considered a pretty decent OT draft and next year isn’t. This is considered a poor wr draft with a ton of mid round depth and next year is considered a historic wr draft in round 1.

So from that standpoint, drafting a wr round 1 this year feels weird.

You have that completely backwards about the OTs and WRs this year...

Just now, HazletonEagle said:

You have that completely backwards about the OTs and WRs this year...

You think the top of draft wr talent is great this year?

19 minutes ago, Waiting4Someday said:

From my perspective if they’re trading McKee, I want it done today so that we have all the backfill options available - specifically Nuss.

If we are looking for QBs, I think we need to eliminate shorter guys. We are looking to throw to the middle of the field a LOT more in this new system. We need a guy who can see and throw over our massive OL.

Absolute 100% best case scenario for tonight:

-Trade a 2027 third round pick for Jonathan Greenard

-Draft the best OL or DB available at 54 (Bisontis, Pregnon, Dunker, Tiernan/EMW, McCoy, Stukes, Haulcy)

-Trade down from 64 to the mid to late 70's/get back a 4th round pick, draft the best TE left and get ahead of the run (Klare, Delp, Roush, Raridon)

-Draft the best DB or OL at 98 (Ramsey, Kilgore, Wheatley, Crownover, Barber, Bell, etc)

5 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

Yea I just don’t like Lemon. But I’d also note that this is considered a pretty decent OT draft and next year isn’t. This is considered a poor wr draft with a ton of mid round depth and next year is considered a historic wr draft in round 1.

So from that standpoint, drafting a wr round 1 this year feels weird.

I don't agree with not liking Lemon but as I said I can see that argument. There really is no argument for drafting a lesser player to fill a "need" when it comes to the draft, and I'm not sure anyone had a higher grade on a project like Iheanachor, or guy like Lomu with serious question marks about play strength, than Lemon. Drafting one of them over would have been exactly what not to do in the draft.

25 minutes ago, RLC said:

This class is awful. Why would we want 5ths, 6ths, and 7ths?

Agree. Hoping we keep all three picks today. Get 4 guys in the top 98. TE, S, DE or OL. Call it good.

1 minute ago, TEW said:

If we are looking for QBs, I think we need to eliminate shorter guys. We are looking to throw to the middle of the field a LOT more in this new system. We need a guy who can see and throw over our massive OL.

I prefer a taller prospect, but we need a processor.

I love Delp, but would be opposed to him at 54. Has upside, but the reality is his production was pretty awful. At 54 you want proven producers. I'd take him in the 3rd though.

10 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

Yea I just don’t like Lemon. But I’d also note that this is considered a pretty decent OT draft and next year isn’t. This is considered a poor wr draft with a ton of mid round depth and next year is considered a historic wr draft in round 1.

So from that standpoint, drafting a wr round 1 this year feels weird.

It's not a good OT draft really. Everyone needs development and has serious warts. Hell the first guy off the board talked about his favorite Pokemon.

55 minutes ago, Mike030270 said:

He could have worded it better so as to not look like the GM and owner said F your thoughts on the 13th pick

Looks like that is what they did though

McVay was clearly irritated at the pick during their PC last night.

10 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

You think the top of draft wr talent is great this year?

No. But this was thought to be a very poor WR draft prior to the season, and everyone says how surprisingly deep it has become. No one separated to elite status. But its a really good class.

I dont know of anyone who ever said this is a decent OT class. Its vomit inducingly gross pretty much from top to bottom. Very very bad OT class.

last few years it seems Eagles haven't wanted to not get caught at the back of an OT slide. I'm fine with them kicking it one more year as Fred is back. I think guard is a must today though

when Proctor went early i realized we weren't getting an OT or TE yesterday

Just now, DEagle7 said:

It's not a good OT draft really. Everyone needs development and has serious warts. Hell the first guy off the board talked about his favorite Pokemon.

Agreed. After Proctor and Vega went off the board everyone else was a legit question mark. Freeling and Iheanchor are both legit projects, Miller has no upside and should be a 2nd round pick most years, and Lomu has serious questions when it comes to play strength and also is a clear 2nd round pick most years.

2 hours ago, eagle45 said:

Brown did struggle to get separation last year. And why is that ? It’s speed.

Nope, it’s breaks. Speed is easier to cover. You didn’t listen to Howie and Nick’s press conferences. They have been pretty transparent about this. It is why a railed on Dotson last season. Eagles tried speed (Watkins, who BTW is on the team), bad hands, rarely got open, because speed alone isn’t that hard to cover. They went for better hands with a bit less speed. Rarely open because he just couldn’t break, feint etc. Zone killed them because Brown wasn’t running well (you ever try a quick move on a strained hammy) and Dotson’s one speed, no breaks didn’t do it.

The NFL graveyard is littered with speed WRs you liked in drafts.

1 hour ago, TEW said:

What is elite upside specifically at the slot receiver position though? Think about the truly elite players at that position: JSN, Nacua, ARSB.

Doesn’t Lemon fit that mold perfectly?

I think we need to separate slot receivers from boundary receivers. They’re different positions that require different skill sets to be elite. A boundary receiver generally needs more pure speed. You want them to be taller, with a high vertical. You want these things because they are playing in isolation.

A slot receiver is a different prototype. They need to be quick with great acceleration. They need great route running and great hands. And they need these things because they’re playing in traffic. They will have a nickel back in front of them, a LB is likely not too far away to their inside. A safety is over top of them. They need to create quick separation and catch passes in stride.

Objectively, Lemon is a prototypical slot receiver who compares favorably to guys who catch 100 passes and put up 1700 yards. Will Lemon do that? Probably not because that would be playing his position at the most elite level and those teams base their entire offense around those players. But I would say that is his upside as a slot receiver in the same way that if you drafted some 6’5” 230 pound guy who ran a 4.3 forty you would say Megatron or DK Metcalf was his upside.

Don't like comparing him to JSN, JSN is definitely faster than Lemon. I think Lemon is more like Nacua. Difference is Nacua is 3 inches taller and 20 lbs heavier. JSN is faster and also a little taller.

4 minutes ago, Sack that QB said:

I love Delp, but would be opposed to him at 54. Has upside, but the reality is his production was pretty awful. At 54 you want proven producers. I'd take him in the 3rd though.

The eagles have visited with Justin Joly who is not at all in the mold of a Y TE. Hes a dynamic receiving TE with insane yards per catch but did so mostly be being schemed open. I think if the eagles like him, then Stowers can also be in play if he falls far enough this round. And in Stowers, I dont know if we are getting a TE or an X WR.

Don't know if this was posted yet, but damn Howie!

https://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/1sug0jc/highlight_makai_lemon_receives_a_call_from/?solution=9f902c7063c85dcb9f902c7063c85dcb&js_challenge=1&token=bbbe4bf1c9a2b5160829c4be34da58615b39d603f842a1045006262513542e24&jsc_orig_r=

20 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

Yea I just don’t like Lemon. But I’d also note that this is considered a pretty decent OT draft and next year isn’t. This is considered a poor wr draft with a ton of mid round depth and next year is considered a historic wr draft in round 1.

So from that standpoint, drafting a wr round 1 this year feels weird.

Why? Pretty much every draft grade gave the Eagles an A outside of a guy from Yahoo who gave everyone but the Vikings bad grades. The guy catches everything and finds open space. What is to not like about him? He's not AJ? Well, he's not, and he won't be filling that role in the offense. What he brings is something the Eagles don't have right now. The offense won't look the same with him in there and that's a good thing. He should get open and help them move the chains. Can Hurts make the most out of him? We'll see, but there isn't much to not like about the guy. Smith can stretch the field. This guy is a weapon just in different ways.

4 minutes ago, Sack that QB said:

Don't like comparing him to JSN, JSN is definitely faster than Lemon. I think Lemon is more like Nacua. Difference is Nacua is 3 inches taller and 20 lbs heavier. JSN is faster and also a little taller.

A lot of people are aiming high with the comps using Puka, JSN, even St. Brown

I dont know what the ceiling will be. That will mostly depend on the effectiveness of the coordinator and QB.

I think you got a high floor though. I think a GREAT comp no one has even said is Jordan Addison, who interestingly got picked at 23rd overall. Lemon is stronger and slightly heavier than Addison but generally very comparable. Hands, both 5'11'', route running, can run all the routes, both had punt return experience... what a coincidence, both from USC. Im honestly shocked no one has said this.

9 minutes ago, Sack that QB said:

Don't like comparing him to JSN, JSN is definitely faster than Lemon. I think Lemon is more like Nacua. Difference is Nacua is 3 inches taller and 20 lbs heavier. JSN is faster and also a little taller.

I did a search for Nacua's draft report

"Nacua was viewed as a below-average athlete, with a poor relative athletic score. His 4.57 40-yard dash was considered slow for an NFL wide receiver, along with limited top-end speed and burst."

It also said clunky footwork and he'd struggle against press.

People (not you) being critical of him don't have a clue what he can become. He's not going to be JSN or Nacua. He's going to be a mix of both and put his own mark on things.

17 minutes ago, DEagle7 said:

It's not a good OT draft really. Everyone needs development and has serious warts. Hell the first guy off the board talked about his favorite Pokemon.

Sitting behind Lane isn't really the worst thing that a draft prospect can do though lol

Getting a year to learn from one of the best would be a great learning experience