There is still uncertainty on whether USC’s Makai Lemon is the top receiver in his NFL draft class. Many experts see him as a slot receiver, which many believe is all he will be in the NFL. His highlight tape and the physicality he plays with say otherwise.
Many are trying to pinpoint just why receiver Makai Lemon does not fit their criteria for being a great receiver in the NFL. Most experts and analysts are higher on his counterparts and believe that because they have bigger frames, they will be better fits in the NFL. The NFL is evolving, and today, more than ever, there is a need for players like Makai Lemon than there is for outside receivers.
When you look at today’s game, Lemon is more comparable to the best receivers in the game than just the slot receivers. Makai Lemon gets open at a high level, and he will be a young or veteran quarterback’s favorite target early. It is hard to imagine the best offensive minds in the game will not be begging their general manager to take Makai Lemon. Makai Lemon is not a player that should be boxed into one sole role, as he showed at USC, he is not a one-trick pony. He is the payer in this class who will make a lot of people look stupid.
Teams like the Rams are really high on Lemon, not just because he can be a good slot receiver, but because he is a dangerous weapon that will give Matthew Stafford a great shot to win a ring. In the right hands, Makai Lemon will be a dominant receiver, not just a slot receiver.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Makai Lemon is too gifted to be labeled a ‘slot receiver’
Reporting by Micah Huff, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
