The Eagles drafted USC wide receiver Makai Lemon in the first round of the NFL draft after trading up with the Cowboys. This move is seen as beneficial for A.J. Brown's role on the team.
Key points
Eagles drafted USC wide receiver Makai Lemon
Eagles traded with the Dallas Cowboys
Moved up from No. 23 to No. 20 in the draft
Gave up two fourth-round picks
Received a seventh-round pick in 2027
Philadelphia EaglesDallas CowboysMakai LemonA.J. Brown
Who did the Eagles draft Thursday night and what does it mean?
PHILADELPHIA â In many ways, the Eagles taking USC wide receiver Makai Lemon in the first round of the NFL draft was the best thing that could've happened to A.J. Brown.
Officially, as general manager Howie Roseman put it on April 23: "A.J. is a member of the Eagles."
The Eagles traded with the Dallas Cowboys, moving up from No. 23 to No. 20 in the first round to get Lemon. In return, the Eagles gave up both of their fourth-round picks, at No. 114 and No. 137. The Eagles are also getting a seventh-round pick in 2027.
Unofficially, Brown is not going to be a member of the Eagles for much longer.
There's no way that he can be. If Brown was disgruntled last season with the amount of passes thrown his way, think about how much more disgruntled he would be this season after the Eagles drafted Lemon, traded for Dontayvion Wicks, and signed veteran free agents Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore.
And oh yeah, the Eagles are also a run-first offense behind Saquon Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Q&A
Who did the Eagles draft in the first round of the NFL draft?
The Eagles drafted USC wide receiver Makai Lemon in the first round.
What trade did the Eagles make to acquire Makai Lemon?
The Eagles traded with the Dallas Cowboys, moving up from No. 23 to No. 20 and giving up both of their fourth-round picks.
How does Makai Lemon's drafting impact A.J. Brown?
Makai Lemon's addition is considered beneficial for A.J. Brown's role on the Eagles.
What additional pick did the Eagles receive in the trade with the Cowboys?
The Eagles received a seventh-round pick in 2027 as part of the trade.
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Southern California Trojans receiver Makai Lemon poses with his parents Mike and Brandy Lemon on the red carpet before the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23 at Point State Park in Pittsburgh.
Southern California Trojans receiver Makai Lemon poses on the red carpet before the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23 at Point State Park in Pittsburgh.
Southern California Trojans receiver Makai Lemon is introduced before the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23 at Acrisure Stadium.
Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Southern California Trojans receiver Makai Lemon is selected by the Philadelphia Eagles as the number 20 pick during the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23 at Acrisure Stadium.
Makai Lemon (R) of USC poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (L) after being selected twentieth overall pick by the Philadelphia Eagles during Round One of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 23, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Makai Lemon of USC celebrates after being selected twentieth overall pick by the Philadelphia Eagles during Round One of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 23, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Makai Lemon #6 of the USC Trojans catches a pass against the Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium on November 02, 2024 in Seattle, Washington.
Makai Lemon #6 of the USC Trojans makes a catch over Jaydon Hill #8 of the Texas A&M Aggies during second half of the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium on December 27, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Trojans defeated the Aggies 35-31.
Makai Lemon #6 of the USC Trojans walks out of the tunnel before the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 20, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
USC wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) runs for a first down before he is stopped by Michigan linebacker Jimmy Rolder (30), defensive back Rod Moore (19) and defensive end Cameron Brandt (9) on Oct. 11 at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) scores a touchdown against the Oregon Ducks during the second half on Nov. 22 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon
USC wide receiver Makai Lemon is brought down by a pack of Oregon defenders as the Oregon Ducks host the USC Trojans on Nov. 22, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.
Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) catches a 32-yard touchdown pass against UCLA Bruins defensive back Kanye Clark (1) in the second half on Nov. 29 at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) catches a 32-yard touchdown pass against UCLA Bruins defensive back Kanye Clark (1) in the second half on Nov. 20 at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) hurdles UCLA Bruins punter Will Karoll (49) as linebacker Scott Taylor (20) watches in the second half Nov. 20 at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
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Meet Makai Lemon, Eagles newest draft pick in photos
Southern California Trojans receiver Makai Lemon poses with his parents Mike and Brandy Lemon on the red carpet before the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23 at Point State Park in Pittsburgh.
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Meet Makai Lemon, Eagles newest draft pick in photos
Southern California Trojans receiver Makai Lemon poses with his parents Mike and Brandy Lemon on the red carpet before the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23 at Point State Park in Pittsburgh.
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Meet Makai Lemon, Eagles newest draft pick in photos
Southern California Trojans receiver Makai Lemon poses on the red carpet before the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23 at Point State Park in Pittsburgh.
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Meet Makai Lemon, Eagles newest draft pick in photos
Southern California Trojans receiver Makai Lemon is introduced before the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23 at Acrisure Stadium.
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Meet Makai Lemon, Eagles newest draft pick in photos
Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Southern California Trojans receiver Makai Lemon is selected by the Philadelphia Eagles as the number 20 pick during the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23 at Acrisure Stadium.
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Meet Makai Lemon, Eagles newest draft pick in photos
Makai Lemon (R) of USC poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (L) after being selected twentieth overall pick by the Philadelphia Eagles during Round One of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 23, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Meet Makai Lemon, Eagles newest draft pick in photos
Makai Lemon of USC celebrates after being selected twentieth overall pick by the Philadelphia Eagles during Round One of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 23, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Meet Makai Lemon, Eagles newest draft pick in photos
Makai Lemon #6 of the USC Trojans catches a pass against the Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium on November 02, 2024 in Seattle, Washington.
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Meet Makai Lemon, Eagles newest draft pick in photos
Makai Lemon #6 of the USC Trojans makes a catch over Jaydon Hill #8 of the Texas A&M Aggies during second half of the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium on December 27, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Trojans defeated the Aggies 35-31.
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Meet Makai Lemon, Eagles newest draft pick in photos
Makai Lemon #6 of the USC Trojans walks out of the tunnel before the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 20, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
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Meet Makai Lemon, Eagles newest draft pick in photos
USC wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) runs for a first down before he is stopped by Michigan linebacker Jimmy Rolder (30), defensive back Rod Moore (19) and defensive end Cameron Brandt (9) on Oct. 11 at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
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Meet Makai Lemon, Eagles newest draft pick in photos
Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) scores a touchdown against the Oregon Ducks during the second half on Nov. 22 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon
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Meet Makai Lemon, Eagles newest draft pick in photos
USC wide receiver Makai Lemon is brought down by a pack of Oregon defenders as the Oregon Ducks host the USC Trojans on Nov. 22, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.
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Meet Makai Lemon, Eagles newest draft pick in photos
Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) catches a 32-yard touchdown pass against UCLA Bruins defensive back Kanye Clark (1) in the second half on Nov. 29 at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
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Meet Makai Lemon, Eagles newest draft pick in photos
Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) catches a 32-yard touchdown pass against UCLA Bruins defensive back Kanye Clark (1) in the second half on Nov. 20 at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
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Meet Makai Lemon, Eagles newest draft pick in photos
Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) hurdles UCLA Bruins punter Will Karoll (49) as linebacker Scott Taylor (20) watches in the second half Nov. 20 at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
It's no longer a question of whether A.J. Brown can be happy again in Philadelphia because the Eagles just made that impossible.
By doing so, the Eagles took Brown off the hook for pouting his way off the team â and most likely onto the New England Patriots â through his social media posts last season. ESPN reported on April 20 that a deal between the two teams "is still tracking to happen on or after June 1."
After the Eagles drafted Lemon, the NFL Network reported that "the Eagles are operating with the assumption that A.J. Brown will not be on their team next season," and that trade talks will pick up again as June 1 approaches.
"We donât have any trades that have been made, or that are done," Eagles GM Howie Roseman said. "I think for us, weâre taking this one day at a time. Weâre going to look to improve the team, and weâll continue to address anything that we have to with our roster, not only through this draft weekend. Weâll continue to look for ways to improve the team throughout the offseason and as we get into training camp."
It's not that Lemon alone will be able to replace Brown's production. Brown, after all, had four straight seasons with the Eagles in which he surpassed 1,000 yards receiving and had the two highest totals for a season in franchise history with 1,496 yards in 2022 and 1,456 yards in 2023.
But Lemon, along with an expected increase in production from DeVonta Smith, along with contributions from Wicks, Hollywood Brown and Moore, gives the Eagles a stronger and deeper wide receiver room than what the Eagles have had in the past.
Yes, that's including Brown. Last season, Jahan Dotson was the Eagles' No. 3 receiver and had just 262 yards receiving. Both Wicks (332 yards with the Packers) and Hollywood Brown (587 yards with the Chiefs) surpassed those totals last season.
"I think when we look at the wide receiver position in the offseason, we felt like it was an area we wanted to address," Roseman said. "We wanted to really have a basketball team of skillset of different players who could do different things and add to the offense and give us versatility and give us depth."
Consider Lemon the equivalent of the shooting guard.
He had 1,156 yards receiving last season for the Trojans with 11 touchdowns. He won the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the top wide receiver at the FBS level. Lemon isn't the biggest receiver at 5-11, 192 pounds, and he isn't the fastest with a 40-yard dash time of 4.47 at his Pro Day in March.
But Lemon is a dependable and high-volume receiver in the slot. Lemon has been compared to the Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown, who's 6-foot, 202 pounds, and has had four straight seasons with at least 100 receptions and 1,100 yards.
"They're gonna get someone who can come in, who wants to compete at a high level, a dawg, somebody thatâs gonna do anything that the organization needs me to do at a high level," Lemon said. "Just playing for my teammates day in and day out, leading by example, and being the best player and person I can be each and every day."
And yet, it wasn't necessarily intended to work out this way.
The Eagles would have been thrilled to draft Lane Johnson's eventual successor at right tackle, whether it was Georgia's Monroe Freeling, Clemsonâs Blake Miller or Alabama's Kadyn Proctor. But Freeling went No. 19 to Carolina, Miller No. 17 to Detroit and Proctor went No. 12 to Miami.
It's possible that Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane could have been a target as an immediate starter at right guard and eventual replacement for Landon Dickerson at left guard. But he was taken by the Ravens at No. 14.
The same could be said about Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq replacing Dallas Goedert, but he went No. 16 to the Jets.
Lemon, meanwhile, was projected as the third best wide receiver in the draft, behind Ohio Stateâs Carnell Tate and Arizona Stateâs Jordyn Tyson, someone who couldâve gone in the top 12.
Roseman said Lemon was in the Eaglesâ top 15 players. He knew the Lions, Vikings at 18 and Panthers at 19 were likely not going to take him.
"We canât control what other teams will select," Roseman said. "Sometimes players go in front of us that we really like and weâre going, âOh man, thatâs a really good player. That stinks. We would have been interested in him.â
"I think for us here, weâre more focused on whoâs going to be available, and as it got closer to the pick, seeing this guyâs still being available really stuck out on our board."
So the Eagles traded up ahead of the Steelers at No. 21, just as the Steelers were calling Lemon to tell him that he was going to be their pick.
That, in turn, got Brown off the hook. He can go to New England with a clear conscience, knowing that the Eagles wanted to trade him just as much as he wanted to leave.
Both Brown and the Eagles can thank a Lemon drop into their laps for that.
