New Eagles WR Makai Lemon Spotted with DeVonta Smith at 76ers Game

The past 24 hours have been a whirlwind for Makai Lemon.

The star wide receiver out of USC was on the phone with Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan, and his circle started celebrating the Steelers’ impending decision to draft Lemon at No. 21 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday night.

But then, a confused Lemon fielded a call from the Philadelphia Eagles. Lemon’s agent rushed in to alert Lemon that the Eagles had just traded up to No. 20 overall to leapfrog Pittsburgh and draft him.

Lemon arrived at the Eagles’ facility on Friday, and by Friday night, he was courtside with Eagles star wide receiver Devonta Smith at Xfinity Mobile Arena for Game 3 of the Philadelphia 76ers’ first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics.

Lemon fit right in, as the Philly crowd showered him with cheers while he rang the bell before tip-off.

A veteran wide receiver taking a rookie under his wing would not be newsworthy on any other NFL team, but Lemon bonding with Smith only fuels rumors that A.J. Brown will not be in the Eagles’ wide receiver room next season.

The Eagles have been preparing for life after Brown all offseason, as they signed veteran receiver Hollywood Brown in free agency and traded for Green Bay Packers receiver Dontayvion Wicks earlier this month.

Assuming Brown is traded post-June 1, as expected, Smith would assume the WR1 role, and Lemon should diversify the passing game.

Lemon played all three of his collegiate seasons at USC, and he improved each year. As a sophomore in 2024, Lemon posted 52 catches for 764 yards and three touchdowns. Last season, he posted career highs across the board: 79 receptions for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns.

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This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 10:34 PM.