August 16, 2026
I’m not sure what’s more entertaining these days, the gushing words of the jovial Philadelphia sports media, or the shameless backtracking when the initial joy dissolves into doubt. Do these guys even remember what they said a week or a month ago? Do they care? Does anybody keep score anymore?
Well, I do. I track all of the pretty prose by our Greek choir of positivity, if for no other reason than to laugh when the story begins to go backwards.
A case in point right now is wide receiver Makai Lemon, the first-round draft choice whose arrival expedited the departure of A.J. Brown to New England. Lemon was drafted to be the No. 2 receiver in tandem with promoted new top target DeVonta Smith. In fact, to hear some of the early reports, Lemon had the ability to supplant Smith as the No. 1 guy.
“His competitiveness just kind of oozed off the tape,” coach Nick Sirianni said in the afterglow of the pick. “He has an insane ability to separate from defenders and catch the ball in contested situations.”
“He’s a tremendous young talent,” agreed offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, who reportedly urged his bosses to draft the 5-11, 192-pound USC standout. “He practices really hard, studies hard, takes a lot of pride in the little details. That’s the sign of a true pro.”
And the media, not surprisingly, bought in to the hype. The words steal and immediate impact and Howie did it again were echoing through most of the post-draft euphoria by every reformed sports critic in Philadelphia. After all, GM Howie Roseman did move up three slots by trading with Dallas (huh?) just before Pittsburgh planned to take the young ballhawk.
“The Eagles move up and make a major addition at receiver,” gushed Tim McManus of ESPN. “Lemon projects as an immediate impact player who should be on the field early and often.”
As for Makai Lemon himself, he said it best when he declared: “They getting a dawg. It’s ready for work, for real. I ain’t doing no playing.”
Well, the last part he definitely got right. The Eagles have been at training camp for more than two weeks now, and Makai truly ain’t doing no playing. He reported to camp with a hamstring injury, and he still hasn’t been cleared to participate. As a result, he’s falling way behind in learning Mannion’s new offense and in acclimating himself to the NFL.
Not only has Lemon been merely a spectator at training camp so far, he also missed the mini-camp in June with another hammy issue.
Will he be ready for the first game on Sept. 13? Doubtful.
Does he still have a chance to be the No. 2 receiver? Unlikely.
Is it time to back off yet on all the April jubilation? Definitely.
“If Lemon can get back on the field next week, maybe he can get back to where he needs to be,” said media cheerleader Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia. “But the reality is, even before the injury Lemon wasn’t flashing.”
“On the days he did practice,” added Jimmy Kempski of Philly Voice, “he didn’t do a whole lot.”
Uh, oh. So in between two hamstring injuries, Lemon wasn’t impressing anybody, and now he’s weeks behind a hungry, largely new receiving corps. This is not exactly what the fans were promised a few months ago.
What happened? Nothing all that surprising in these days of a media brigade acting more like a PR platoon. In the days when the Philadelphia media held sports figures accountable, yes, we would print all of the accolades voiced by the team, but then we would address the other side of the ledger.
The truth is, Lemon is too small to project as a No. 1 wide receiver. Yes, there have been exceptions. Steve Smith was brilliant, Tyreek Hill is still a serious threat (when he’s not getting into trouble), and the player Lemon has been compared to most often, Amon-Ra St. Brown, is a stud. But most often, star receivers who are under 6 feet and 200 pounds are so fast, so elusive, that they are the biggest outliers. Lemon is not that fast.
Makai Lemon, who runs a 4.5 40, is neither big nor all that quick. He is, at best, a complimentary piece.
Above all, on his best day he is not A.J. Brown.
You read none of this when Lemon was drafted because, well, why ruin a good party? (And why risk a phone call from the Eagles to your boss for being too negative?)
I have been around long enough to understand all of the bloviating that follows the draft. In Lemon’s case, the emphasis on his competitiveness – a quality not measurable statistically – is like praising a prospective first date for his or her personality.
Do you remember Jalen Reagor? He was the Eagles’ first-round draft bust in 2020, chosen over far superior receivers Justin Jefferson, Tee Higgins and Brandon Aiyuk. While they are almost identical in size, the only difference between Lemon and Reagor is that Reagor could – and still can – run fast (4.3). Six seasons later, he remains in the NFL, returning kicks for the Dolphins. In retrospect, Reagor was, at best, worthy of a third-round pick.
Now I’m not saying Lemon is a bust – at least not yet. He was ranked as a first-round talent by just about everybody. He shows no fear over the middle, has reliable hands and, yes, he is undeniably competitive. How that all translates into his value in the NFL remains to be seen, whenever he is finally past his chronic hamstring issues.
All I’m saying is, the media never told the whole story about Makai Lemon when Roseman risked the 20th pick in the draft on an undersized receiver who is not overly fast. They pulled out their rose-colored glasses and saw the next big-play slot threat. They didn’t bother to mention the downside – his inability to shed press coverage in his first NFL practices because he is too small and not quick enough to match up with the best cornerbacks.
Of course, now they will dispense all of that information, now that Lemon is showing all of the early signs of being a first-round disappointment. Journalism is not about reporting the obvious; it’s about providing information that is not available on the team’s website. It’s about anticipating the impact, both good and bad, of a major move.
You didn’t get that with Makai Lemon.
Some other thoughts while we wait for the real NFL games. . . .
- Speaking of hype becoming tripe, can we all dial back the absurd accolades for Sean Mannion’s offense, which did a pratfall in its debut in Baltimore on Saturday night. Yes, the starters weren’t playing and even the lowliest scrubs got in at some point, but it’s hard to imagine a less inspiring start than this. Until the final drive, the Eagles had no points and only 80 yards of offense. By all measures, that stinks. Mix in seven penalties for 55 yards, and you have an inauspicious start, to be kind.
- Don’t we ever learn? A year ago, the exciting new Kevin Patullo offense was drawing raves, too, until it actually had to perform in a game. Then, disaster. I doubt we are heading down the same dead end here with Mannion; all I’m asking is a little restraint – maybe even a morsel of logic – before we get these breathless reports from training camp about how brilliant the new Eagles OC is. He may be. But, as a novice, he clearly is going to have to navigate a steep learning curve first.
- The winner of the first round in the battle for backup QB between Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee was . . . Cole Payton? The rookie fourth-round pick from North Dakota State drove the Eagles down the field for their only score in the waning minutes, after Dalton and McKee had combined for 65 yards and zero points in the first three quarters. Look, it doesn’t matter who the backup is. If Jalen Hurts goes down, the Eagles are dead this year. That’s what we learned from the first preseason game.
- The most entertainment I experienced during that three-hour ordeal was listening to my friend and former WIP co-host Ross Tucker trying valiantly to polish an absolute turd of a performance by the Eagles. The good news for Ross is, he can put the polish away in a couple of weeks. He has been promoted to the No. 2 CBS booth for its NFL coverage this season. Listen closely to how Ross calls a game. Invariably, he sees something that you missed, and is brilliant at explaining it before the next play. The world is about to discover that Ross is a star, the best analyst working in network sports today.
- As for Tony Romo, whose suspension led to Tucker’s promotion, he had a great first season in the booth when he was still familiar with the players and was willing to put in the work. As soon as he signed an obscene 10-year, $180-million contract in 2020, he went on permanent vacation. Now what you get is stream-of-consciousness drivel filled with more odd noises than any real insights. He should have been dismissed for his awful performance over the past five years. Now that he has provided cause to leave the booth for good through his DWI arrest last month, it’s time for him to bid a final goodbye. Like the team he played for – the Dallas Cowboys – Tony Romo sucks.