USC's Offensive Prospects' Best and Worst Case NFL Draft Scenarios
The 2026 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, and teams are beginning to settle on their big boards. The USC Trojans have three offensive prospects in wide receivers Makai Lemon, Ja'Kobi Lane, and tight end Lake McRee. Each player projects differently and offers distinct profiles to evaluate.
Draft night always brings both expectations and surprises, which means all three could rise or fall, and none of their landing spots feel locked in.
Wide Receiver Makai Lemon
Lemon enters the draft cycle as USC's most polished offensive prospect. His production backs it up, with 79 receptions for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns, while his efficiency and reliability show up in just three drops on 175 targets across two seasons. That combination gives him one of the safest floors in this class. The one thing that could weigh him down is the questions about his lack of elite speed for his height, but the profile has a proven track record that's growing.
Best Case: Lemon climbs into the top-10, with a ceiling around pick No. 8 and 9 between the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs. Lemon's combination of route running and body control gives him a lead receiver upside. Going in the top-10 would indicate that he is viewed as a plug-and-play No. 1 receiver at the next level.
Worst Case: He slides into the late first round, maybe even one of the first off the board in the second round. If teams see him as a high-end complementary receiver rather than a true alpha, the board could push him down slightly.
Wide Receiver Ja'Kobi Lane
Lane's evaluation hinges on projection. At his best, he looks like a prototypical red-zone weapon with size, catch radius, and contested-catch ability that translate cleanly to the NFL.
Best case: Lanehas the upside of a receiver that could sneak his way into the late-second round. But realistically, his top range at the moment has him as a Round 3 or 4 pick on Day 2. Still being taken within the first two days would signal that teams may view him as an immediate contributor, even if in a more niche role.
Worst case: He slips into the fourth or fifth round. Concerns about separation, route consistency, and week-to-week production create hesitation among evaluators. It doesn't help that he's coming off a season affected by injuries, which may also lead to questions about future durability.
Tight End Lake McRee
McRee enters the draft as a role-based tight end prospect. His receiving ability and movement skills give him a pathway to contribute, but his overall profile limits his ceiling.
Best Case: McRee is selected in the sixth or seventh round value pick. He fits teams looking for a situational tight end that can be another big-slot option in the passing game. McRee could find playing time on pass-heavy teams, particularly ones like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs or even the Baltimore Ravens as interesting system fits.
Worst case: He goes undrafted and signs as a free agent. Questions about blocking and overall upside make him a fringe draftable player. The tight end position has gained more favor in recent years, but only generational talent gains buzz within the first two rounds. It will take a team that sees a real role for McRee to actually use a draft pick on him.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/usc as USC's Offensive Prospects' Best and Worst Case NFL Draft Scenarios.
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This story was originally published April 18, 2026 at 9:56 AM.