USC WR Makai Lemon brings ‘all business' approach to NFL draft

Makai Lemon could become the third USC receiver in the past five years to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft. Drake London was a first-rounder in 2022 as was Jordan Addison in 2023.

And yet, this Biletnikoff winner and All-American, who could add fuel to the fire of perpetual "Wide Receiver U" debates, has mostly been quiet. His representation declined media requests prior to the start of the draft Thursday, and throughout this past college football season, his responses during media availability sessions were short.

Even former USC and NFL receiver Marqise Lee – a natural conversationalist who has been attending Trojans practices while finishing his degree – didn't have extensive conversations with him.

"Makai was always a guy who was all business," Lee said. "There wasn't much that needed to be said."

Lemon, who prepped at Los Alamitos High, is USC's first Biletnikoff Trophy winner since Lee earned the award in 2012. His toughness and sure-handedness led to 1,156 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on 79 catches last season and vaulted him to the top of draft boards.

As of Monday evening, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper expected him to be picked 13th overall by the Rams. He'll be the third receiver to be selected, according to that projection, after Ohio State's Carnell Tate and Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson.

Lemon might be a good fit for the Rams, Kiper wrote, because of his toughness and the lack of receiver depth on the team beyond Puka Nacua and Davante Adams – the latter of whom is in the final year of his contract.

Rumors that Lemon's draft stock could plummet circulated after two shaky interviews during the NFL Combine. He appeared nervous in one, swaying from side to side, and made aggressive eye contact in another.

Lee had the same academic counselor as Lemon this fall, which allowed for the two to spend time around each other and for Lee to better understand his fellow Trojan.

"I was with him the whole time, and you think he sat there and wanted to have a conversation and open up his mind? Nah, he's not that guy," Lee said. "He's not the guy that wants to just have a conversation and talk. He's not. His idea, in his mind, is strictly on football."

Lemon remains a projected first-round pick even after the perceived awkwardness. The résumé he put together while at USC spoke louder – partly thanks to his decision to stay at the same school for his entire college career.

"It taught me a lot of hard work, perseverance," Lemon told reporters shortly after declaring for the draft. "Just staying down, really trusting in myself and my ability. And putting my full trust in the coach that I started a journey with. That trust and that bond that we've created, it was never weak. It only got stronger for me, being here for those three years."

USC head coach Lincoln Riley lauded Lemon's abilities during an appearance on "The Jim Rome Show" last Friday, saying that the receiver's versatility could make him a good fit for any NFL team.

He can play in the slot or on the outside – and if there's not an opportunity on offense right away, he can fall back on his abilities as a returner. Lemon returned six punts for 72 yards and eight kicks for 144 yards this past season. In 2024, his tight grip and decision-making resulted in 514 kick return yards on 19 attempts.

"His contested catches are as good as anybody I've ever coached," Riley said on the show. "Route-running ability, it's all there. And he's also a really dominant special teams player on top of it. I know there's a lot of teams that are eager to have the opportunity to add him and all the value he brings to their organizations."

The first round of the draft Thursday will begin to shovel dirt onto the short-worded interview responses and his unusual press conference body language. Future results of his work done behind the scenes could bury them altogether and create new opportunities.

"It starts in practice, all the hard work that you put in," Lemon said. "The things that you do on Saturdays are a testimony to how much work you put in and how well you do in practice. Don't take it lightly and just try to capitalize on every opportunity that is presented to me."

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This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 10:32 AM.