Eagles Rookie Makai Lemon Eyes Strong Chemistry with DeVonta Smith

The Philadelphia Eagles new wide receiver Makai Lemon kicked off his bonding phase with teammate DeVonta Smith by attending a 76ers game.

Eagles Rookie Makai Lemon Eyes Strong Chemistry with DeVonta Smith

DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon inside the circle (Image via IMAGO)

The Philadelphia Eagles’ wide receiver DeVonta Smith has been part of the team since 2021. One year later, the Eagles traded for AJ Brown. Together, both players have led the Eagles to multiple conference titles and a Super Bowl-winning campaign.

Brown remains unhappy with the scarcity of passes coming his way. According to league sources, he wants to leave the Eagles and play for the New England Patriots.

With a question mark hanging over Brown’s future, the Eagles drafted USC alum Makai Lemon last week. Lemon played for three years with the Trojans. He registered 137 receptions for 2008 yards and scored 14 touchdowns.

On day one, the Eagles traded with the Dallas Cowboys to move up to 20th overall and drafted Lemon. In doing so, the Eagles took advantage of in-state rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who also wanted to select the Fred Biletnikoff Award winner.

Makai Lemon aims to establish a strong bond with DeVonta Smith

A day after the Eagles drafted him, Lemon showed up at the Xfinity Mobile Arena to watch Game 3 of the 76ers-Celtics series. He was accompanied by Smith and the Eagles’ head of security, Dom DiSandro. Big Dom handed both athletes a pair of 76ers merchandise to wear and pose for some photos.

Eagles Rookie Makai Lemon Eyes Strong Chemistry with DeVonta Smith
Makai Lemon (Image via IMAGO)

Lemon spoke with Smith and discovered that he’s a “super humble guy, super chill, super calm” individual. He did not try to “pick his brain too much,” but “definitely got to talk to him to see how things are going.”

‘You came to a great organization, a great team, a brotherhood,’ so I’m super excited to get around the guys.

According to Lemon, Smith told him (H/T: NBC Sports Philadelphia)

Both Smith and Lemon are on the shorter side in terms of wide receivers. Smith is 6-foot, 170 pounds, and Lemon is 5-11, 192. That said, Smith hasn’t let his height stop him from registering 385 catches, 5,019 yards, and 31 touchdowns in five years with the Eagles.

Eagles’ general manager sets the record straight about Makai Lemon draft conundrum

NFL teams get roughly eight minutes to submit their pick to the NFL commissioner before he calls the name from the podium. Within that time frame, teams call the player in the green room to let them know that they are going to draft them with the next pick.

The Pittsburgh front office followed the protocol and called Lemon to tell him that he was going to become a Steeler. While both parties were busy chatting away, the Eagles tried to reach him because they were ready to draft him at 20 after completing a trade with the Cowboys.

The Eagles blindsided the Steelers and took Lemon right under their noses. Later, general manager Howie Roseman explained what went down that day while appearing on Mad Dog Sports Radio.

To say that we were willing to sit there and just get ahead of Pittsburgh, it wouldn’t be true. We were trying to get up [to number 20], we were trying to get the player [Makai Lemon]. It so happened that we got in front of them. Certainly, they were one of the teams that we thought would be in the mix, but more importantly for us than who anyone else wants, it’s who we want and who we want to [go get]. And we wanted to get the player.

Roseman told Adam Schein

Roseman’s first four draft picks were all on the offensive side of the ball. After Lemon, Roseman used the Eagles’ second draft pick (54th overall) on Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers, followed by drafting Miami offensive tackle Markel Bell (68th overall), and North Dakota State quarterback Cole Payton (178th overall).

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