Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Makai Lemon Comp

Posted June 25th, 2026 | No Comments »

Let’s talk about an undersized Big Ten wide receiver who lacked ideal speed and was drafted by the Eagles. You’re thinking of Makai Lemon. I’m thinking of Calvin Williams. He was 5-11, 190 and set receiving records at Purdue. The Eagles spent a mid-round pick on Williams and he went on to have a productive career with them.

Back in the 90’s there used to be a magazine called Ultimate Sports Pro Football that put out annual scouting reports on all the starters and key players for each team. I still have a bunch of the magazines since they make for great reference material. Here is what was said about Williams in 1994 and 1995.

Scout: He’s quicker than he is fast. He works his patterns a little more precisely than Barnett. His hands are equally as good. He has a burst.

Scout: He’s one of the most underrated receivers in the league. He might not be the fastest guy around, but he’s very intelligent. One of his biggest strengths is his ability to analyze his opponents and the defensive scheme he’s going up against.

Scout : Smart WR. Could make a teaching tape from him on receiver discipline and route-running. Plays faster than 4.6, gets a good release off the line and is quick in and out of his routes. Has excellent hands and body control. Goes after the ball aggressively and makes the tough catch in traffic. Will disappear on occasion, like only catching one pass in the playoff win over Detroit.

Do those notes remind  you of anyone on the current team? Here were my raw notes on Lemon prior to the draft.

Highly productive receiver. Went 79-1156-11 in 2025. Strong, physical player. Lacks ideal size and speed, but plays bigger and faster than he is. Might remind you of Amon-Ra St. Brown. Has very good hands. Made some spectacular catches. Terrific body control. Able to make catches through contact. Good RAC ability. Destined to be a slot receiver in the NFL. Does a good job of working the middle of the field so he could excel in that role.

I am surprised I didn’t think of Williams as a comp back closer to the draft. For those who don’t remember him, check out this video. Williams was mainly an outside receiver, despite being 5-11, 190 and running in the 4.6 range. And he was good.

Some of the throws by Randall are amazing. The best Williams stuff comes in the second half of the video when you see non-Randall QBs throwing to him. Those are more realistic plays. Randall made anything possible. The same wasn’t true for Bubby Brister and Rodney Peete. They had real limitations.

One of the things that stuck out to me was Williams acceleration after catching the ball. He didn’t have top speed, but he had a good burst that created a bit of separation and let him get going. You see the same thing from Lemon.

Here are some additional notes on Lemon after the Eagles picked him.

Howie and Nick said that they feel Lemon can play outside or in the slot. He is a terrific route runner and understands how to get open. He’s able to create separation through his body control and quickness. I mentioned Amon-Ra St. Brown as a comparison. He also has a bit of Puka Nacua to his game. Lemon adds value as a KOR. Whether on returns or after the catch, he is great in the open field. He has excellent vision and instincts. He will run through arm tackles. He’s elusive. WR screens have been mostly awful in recent years. Lemon is very good on those and can hopefully have success on them. Lemon goes full speed when the ball is in his hands.. He is a true competitor. He referred to himself as a “dawg” and I can’t disagree.

I do think he can play outside at times. You’ll want to try that at least so you don’t become too predictable. You need to be able to move guys around in different roles.

The more I watch clips of Lemon, the more excited I am to see him in action this summer. Williams averaged 52-667-6 for his career. Lemon is more talented and in this era should blow those numbers away.

*****

Did you hear about this?

That is nuts.

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