USC Trojans star Makai Lemon might have made some negative headlines during the NFL Combine, but they weren’t for his on-field performances or abilities. Yes, he was seen ignoring a coach’s instruction, promptly followed by a dropped pass, but he soon corrected himself.
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Lemon received an A- grade for his on-field position drills, dominating the Gauntlet while showcasing elite route running and vice-grip hand strength. At 5’11⅛”, he’s slightly undersized, but his 2025 Biletnikoff Award and unanimous All-American honors prove that hasn’t held him back.
It’s no wonder he’s been locked in as a top pick by many analysts. Including it seems Joel Klatt, who had high praise for the future NFL star. Klatt even compared Lemon to the game’s current and former legends.
During an episode of his podcast, Klatt said, “I love Makai Lemon. This dude just gets football. The dude is just an excellent football player. He gets space. He understands coverage. He’s got an exceptional feel for the game of football.”
The college football analyst added, “I think he is a Julian Edelman. Wes Welker. Jaxson Smith-Njigba type of player.”
The most common comparison we’ve gotten for Lemon so far is with Amon-Ra St. Brown. But it’s understandable why Klatt would pit him with the likes of Edelman and Welker.
Both of those former players were shorter than Lemon, and like them, the college prospect has shown he has an exceptional ability to get open and a strong understanding of coverage. But Jaxson Smith-Njigba, who is over six feet tall, represents more of the modern slot receiver mold, which Lemon will have to grow into at the next level.
Klatt continued, “[Lemon] can operate in the middle. He can operate outside, although I think he’s better in the middle. But again, it’s this idea of his intelligence and his feel for the game, his feel for coverage, his feel for leverage, his ability to make the play on the ball. He’s great with the ball in the air.”
“I just can’t say enough about Makai Lemon. That game we called, the USC-Illinois game, he was phenomenal… I think he’s going to make some quarterback at the NFL level very, very happy,” added the analyst.
“I think he is a Julian Edelman, Wes Welker, Jaxon Smith-Njigba type of player… I think he’s going to make some quarterback at the NFL level very, very happy.”
More from @joelklatt on WR Makai Lemon’s “feel for the game” ahead of the NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/AVbeSI0tJX
— The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football on FOX Pod (@JoelKlattShow) March 2, 2026
Lemon will undoubtedly develop into an elite NFL player over the next few years. It’s also a welcome shift that more positive things are being said about him now. After his in-person interviews, several reports claimed the wideout was removed from at least four teams’ draft boards. His Combine interview also drew attention online for the way he spoke and looked at the camera.
It will be interesting to see if those issues affect his draft stock and if he falls out of the top 10.
