Makai Lemon feels great, ready for Eagles training camp
Philadelphia Eagles first-round wide receiver Makai Lemon says he is feeling great and will be 100 percent ready for training camp after a hamstring injury sidelined him late in the offseason program. The USC product expects to report July 28 and get on the field for Philly's first summer practice.
Key Takeaways
- Makai Lemon told the Philadelphia Inquirer he is "feeling great" and "100 percent" ready after missing final OTAs and June minicamp.
- Rookies and veterans report July 28; Lemon said he will be ready for the Eagles' first practice on July 29, pending trainer clearance.
- The No. 20 overall pick spent the downtime studying the playbook and absorbing lessons from Philadelphia's veteran offense.
- Lemon joins a remade receiving corps after the Eagles traded A.J. Brown and added Dontayvion Wicks, Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, and tight end Eli Stowers.
Is Makai Lemon healthy enough for training camp?
Yes—at least by his own account. Speaking Friday from his FlexWork Sports youth camp in Aston, Lemon said he is "feeling great" ahead of camp and will be "100%" for the Eagles' first summer practice on July 29.
This spring he took part in rookie minicamp and the first media-open OTA practice in May. Teammate Quinyon Mitchell said a hamstring injury then kept Lemon out of the second media-open OTA and the entire two-day mandatory minicamp in June.
According to NFL.com, Lemon still needs official clearance from trainers, but a full preseason runway matters for a rookie classed as a key piece of Philly's post–A.J. Brown offense.
What did Makai Lemon work on while sidelined?
"Just working on my craft, just trying to get the playbook down," Lemon said. "Just making sure I'm ready so when I go out there, it's lights out."
He also watched how veterans prepare. "Just how to take care of your body," he said. "Just how to attack your preparation. Every little thing that them guys do, I'm watching closely."
Lemon, listed at 5-foot-11 and 192 pounds, is not a one-to-one stand-in for Brown (6-foot-1, 226). At USC he caught 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns, profiling more as a slot threat with polished routes and reliable hands.
How will veterans help Makai Lemon in Philadelphia?
The Eagles stacked experience around him: DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, Super Bowl LIX MVP Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and Lane Johnson, plus newcomers Wicks, Hollywood Brown, and second-round tight end Eli Stowers.
"They had open arms for me," Lemon said. "A lot of veteran guys in my room. I'm just there to learn from them. Soak up any information I can. I'm ready for the season to ride out with them boys, man."
That veteran buffer may ease early pressure as offensive coordinator Sean Mannion shapes roles in camp. For more BlasterPost coverage beyond the gridiron, see our Future Tech & AI Wonders section.
Lemon, from Los Alamitos, Calif., had never played for a team outside his home state before Philly. He said the locker room—and the community support at his youth camp—already feel like home as he eyes July's report date.