The Pittsburgh Steelers were always going to be in the wide receiver market during the 2026 offseason, and the hiring of Mike McCarthy certainly won’t change that. McCarthy loves to utilize three-receiver sets, and that means it’s even more important that they find a running mate with D.K. Metcalf.
One of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft is Makai Lemon, a slot receiver who dominated college football during the 2025 season. He’s not the biggest receiver in the class, but he makes all the sense in the world for Pittsburgh as they search for another viable option in the passing game. So, without further ado, here is our scouting report on the former Big Ten wide receiver from USC:
USC WR Makai Lemon 2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Height: 5112
Weight: 195 pounds
Expected 40 Yard Dash Time: 4.45-4.52
Recruiting: 4-star recruit, No. 9 ranked wide receiver prospect, No. 50 overall.
College Production: 33 games, 137 receptions for 2,008 yards and 14 touchdowns.
- Positives:
- Explodes off the line of scrimmage. No wasted steps in his releases.
- Fantastic athlete who moves differently than everyone else on the field. Changes direction on a dime without much effort.
- Knows how to vary speed in his routes to create easy separation.
- Doesn’t drop very many passes. Only four registered drops in three seasons (189 targets) at USC.
- Excellent feel when facing zone coverage. Works back to the quarterback and settles into the soft spots in zone coverage.
- Can create separation against man coverage in all three levels of the field. Explodes out of breaks, especially on in-breaking routes.
- Bounces off defenders after the catch. Strong lower body allows him to create big plays in the middle of the field.
Lemon is everything you would want from a slot wide receiver in today’s NFL. He creates separation with ease and is dynamic with the ball in his hands. He has dependable hands and makes life for quarterbacks easy with his separation skills and ability to find soft spots in zone coverage.
While he doesn’t have elite top-end speed, he can make plays down the field can be tough to bring down in the open field. He is a receiver you can run an entire offense through, and he’ll handle 150+ targets with ease.
Negatives:
- Less-than-ideal size for a No. 1 receiver. Needs to be used in a role where he can play in the slot and as a Z-receiver.
- Expected to measure in around 5-11, 195 pounds, but certainly looks smaller than that on tape.
- Could struggle against press coverage against longer and more physical defensive backs. Hiding him in the slot could prevent those issues.
- Doesn’t have a huge catch radius and that could prevent him from being used on certain routes.
- Not the most physical player at the catch point, but he did show signs of improvement during the 2025 season.
- Almost all of his production came from the slot at USC.
All of the negatives for Lemon come from his lack of elite size and speed from an NFL perspective. He’s not a small player (like Calvin Austin), but he doesn’t have Puka Nacua’s size either. That could limit how an NFL team uses him going forward, but there are certainly enough positives to outweigh the negatives for teams searching for wide receiver help in Round 1.
Makai Lemon NFL Player Comparison: Amon-Ra St. Brown
You could also go with Puka Nacua here, but comparing anyone to him is a bit lofty. Instead, we’ll compare him to another All-Pro receiver who has made a living out of the slot in Detroit.
Both Brown and Lemon can play on the outside, but their best work comes in the slot, where they can use their physicality and route-running prowess to get open at will. Both players have loose hips that allow them to get in and out of breaks quickly, making them impossible to defend one-on-one from the slot.
Makai Lemon Fit With Pittsburgh Steelers
You couldn’t design a receiver who would be a better fit in Pittsburgh than Makai Lemon. Not only does he fit in exceptionally well with D.K. Metcalf, but he is the type of receiver that Mike McCarthy has had a lot of success with in the past.
Lemon would be the starting slot receiver in Pittsburgh, and the Steelers could run their entire offense through him. That would allow Metcalf to become more of a complementary receiver, much like he was in 2024 with Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Lemon is a tough, physical receiver who would be able to thrive in any weather with any quarterback. This is a dream fit for Pittsburgh, and he would be a player who could solve a lot of their offensive woes.
Makai Lemon NFL Draft Grade: Top-12 Selection
In a league that is suddenly dominated by slot receivers like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Puka Nacua (just to name a few), Lemon couldn’t be entering the NFL at a better time. He is exactly what teams want from their No. 1 receiver, as you can build your entire offense through him.
Lemon isn’t the most physically gifted receiver, and he doesn’t have elite size, but that really doesn’t matter much in today’s NFL. He is a fantastic route runner who can bounce off tackles and make defenders miss after the catch. Everything suggests that Lemon will be a star in the NFL, and he should be one of the first 12 players selected in April.