2026 NFL Draft: Contract details revealed for Eagles first-round pick Makai Lemon

Getting taken with the No. 20 overall pick comes with a nice payday. So, when USC WR Makai Lemon signs his contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, he will be making slightly under $20 million during the rookie contract. The average annual value is around $5 million over four years. Lemon will also get a signing bonus to cap off the details, coming in at $11 million.

Lemon’s mind was likely spinning, more than just him getting drafted. He probably thought Pittsburgh was going to be his destination, reportedly being on the phone with the Steelers. Instead, the Eagles decided to trade up for the wide receiver. Lemon will be staying in the state of Pennsylvania, just on the NFC side.

Technically, there was no better receiver in college football this season. Lemon won the Biletnikoff Award after putting up gaudy numbers during the 2026 season. He caught 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns. This was Lemon’s third season in head coach Lincoln Riley’s system, finally breaking out on the national stage.

Good numbers were put up as a sophomore, though. In 12 games played, Lemon went for 764 yards on 52 receptions. The biggest difference between the two seasons is the touchdowns, as Lemon just caught three in 2024.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about new Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com produced a scouting report on Lemon ahead of the draft. He was the second-highest-ranked receiver throughout the process. Zierlein had Lemon as a first-round guy the entire way, eventually coming true.

A comparison was even part of the evaluation. Turns out, Lemon is similar to another former USC wide receiver — Amon-Ra St. Brown.

“High-skill, high-volume slot receiver with average size but extraordinary ball skills,” Zierlein said. “Lemon has room for refinement, but not much. He’s intelligent, confident and polished with the ability to make plays on all three levels. Tempo-driven route-runner who misdirects man coverage and separates out of turns but is fairly average after the catch. Quicker than fast, featuring early acceleration to open seam throws but flashes late burst when needed.

“More play strength is needed for NFL press and he needs to avoid rushing through multi-breaking routes. He’s an exceptional ball-tracker with excellent catch timing and few focus drops. He wins more combat catches than he loses. Lemon is a plug-and-play, quarterback-friendly talent with first-round value and Pro Bowl upside.”