Makai Lemon has the hands, heart and fight to fix the Chiefs’ WR room

The Kansas City Chiefs have heavily invested at wide receiver ever since they traded Tyreek Hill. They’ve signed JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Justin Watson, and Hollywood Brown as free agents. They’ve drafted Skyy Moore, Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Jalen Royals all within the last three years. Is it crazy to think they should spend the highest draft pick this franchise has had in over a decade on another receiver?

Without a doubt, the receivers disappointed this year. Rice’s poor judgment off the field and lack of growth on it, Xavier Worthy’s health issues and limited downfield development, Hollywood Brown never really feeling like more than an ancillary piece, and Tyquan Thornton being taken off the field too often all contributed. This room feels incomplete, and that’s not even factoring in Travis Kelce’s status for 2026.

As a franchise, you never want to see your star quarterback frustrated by his surrounding cast. The Chiefs need a true alpha wide receiver, and Makai Lemon has a chance to be that type of player.

Be sure to check out the Arrowhead Addict Big Board for our custom rankings of draft prospects for the Kansas City Chiefs.

NFL Draft Profile: Makai Lemon, Wide Receiver, USC

Age: 21 (June 2nd, 2004)

Height: 5-11 (listed)

Weight: 195 LBS. (listed)

Tape Exposure: Penn State (2024), Michigan (2025), Purdue (2025)

Shades of: Fun-sized Puka Nacua

Makai Lemon Background

A California native, Lemon was a four-star recruit via 247Sports. He was the No. 9 receiver in the country and the sixth overall recruit in the state. Lemon was recruited by Oklahoma, Alabama, and Arizona but ultimately committed to USC. He was named an Under Armour All-American his senior year of high school.

He didn’t see much playing time his freshman year, with just six receptions. However, he took off his sophomore year with 52 receptions for 764 yards and followed that up with 79 receptions for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior. Makai Lemon was named the 2025 Biletnikoff Award winner in December.

Why Makai Lemon makes sense for the Chiefs

Route Running

Lemon displays a wide variety of releases and routes to win at all levels down the field. Despite his size, he uses leverage well and rarely gets moved off his spot, even against man coverage. He works well back to the ball and has been a plus on scramble drills. He ranks in the 87th percentile in separation score via PFF. He’s a natural separator.

YAC Ability

Every time Lemon gets the ball in his hands, it feels like an explosive play waiting to happen. He has a surprising burst and has been highly effective in the screen and sweep game. He’s also very shifty and tough breaking through arm tackles. He’s frequently compared to Amon-Ra St. Brown, and it’s easy to see why, given how fierce he is against tacklers.

Competitiveness

Makai Lemon is a dog in every sense of the word. He blocks his butt off in the screen and run game. Despite being undersized, he ranks in the 93rd percentile in contested catches and, with a 2.2% drop rate, ranks 99th in drop rate percentile. His physicality stands out over the middle. Lemon thrives doing the dirty work in the short and intermediate areas, showing no hesitation between the hashes and battling through contact to squeeze out every yard. He consistently plays bigger than his frame and is a willing, capable run blocker who doesn’t shy away from contact at the point of attack.

Areas of Concern for the Chiefs

Frame

Many Chiefs fans are going to look at 5-11 and 195 lbs. and instantly be opposed to drafting another smaller receiver. Lemon is a very different player than Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy, or Mecole Hardman, but at the end of the day, the frame still has limitations. Can he win against physical man corners at the next level? It’s still a question. Some of what limited Skyy Moore in Kansas City could limit Lemon.

Long Speed

He’s got enough short-area quickness to win as a route runner and after the catch, but he can be caught from behind. He’s not a true downfield threat either, which limits the areas he can really threaten.

Versatility

There’s a strong chance that Lemon will need to live in the slot most of the time. He’s best there at the college level, and with his size, he might not be able to win consistently on the outside. We’ve seen dominant slot receivers like Jaxson Smith-Njigba and Amon-Ra St. Brown thrive, but the Chiefs already have a crowded slot situation with Rice and Worthy.

Is Makai Lemon first-round worthy for the Chiefs?

Looking back at the Buccaneers drafting Emeka Egbuka with Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan both as slot options, it seemed silly at the time. Instead, he became a key piece of that offense all season long. It really feels like Lemon is a great player who knows how to get open. Trust the tape and the stats that say he’s a stud. However, the fit with Rice and Worthy isn’t the cleanest, especially when you factor in Jalen Royals, who is also a YAC weapon.

Makai Lemon is a fierce competitor who understands the nuance of the receiver position and how to get open. He’s dangerous with the ball in his hands and wins in a variety of ways. His frame could limit him to the slot at the next level—his attitude will not.

Round Grade: Purple Chip (1st Round Pick)