Philadelphia Eagles rookie Makai Lemon finally got his chance to experience some preseason action, but unfortunately, it was a disastrous performance for the team’s first-round pick.
The Eagles took on the Cincinnati Bengals to finish out their preseason slate, and Lemon was among the starters. However, he was targeted only five times and finished with an uninspiring three yards.
One of his missed receptions went off the rookie’s hands and right into the hands of a nearby Bengals defender who pounced on the USC standout’s mistake.
Philadelphia went on to lose the game 30-13 in front of the unforgiving home crowd. Social media commenters were also unforgiving, blasting Lemon for his terrible outing at Philly’s Lincoln Financial Field.
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Commenters on Underdog NFL’s post on X didn’t hold back, harshly calling out the Eagles’ rookie after his first NFL preseason game.
“Eagles fans think him and Smitty are gonna replace AJ Brown lmfaooo,” a commenter said, also referring to Eagles veteran receiver DeVonta Smith.
“He somehow figured out how to out do Carnell Tate’s preseason,” a commenter suggested, referring to fellow rookie wide receiver Tate, whom the Tennessee Titans drafted early in the first round.
“Does the Lemon Law apply to fantasy picks too?” another commenter joked.
Others wrote, “Crisis averted for the Rams…,” “The Eagles sure did draft a Jewel,” and “He might actually be a lemon. DAMN.”
This was Lemon’s first appearance in any game against professionals, albeit preseason. It’s also worth noting that the rookie, a heralded receiver from USC, was dealing with a hamstring injury. Per NBC Sports Philadelphia, he reportedly missed 11 practices and the Eagles’ first two preseason games as he recovered.
Lemon, the No. 20 pick in this past April’s NFL Draft, just returned earlier this week and debuted in Friday night’s game. After his dismal performance in limited time on the field, he accepted blame for his mistakes.
“It’s a drop. It hit my hands. It went through my hands. I gotta catch them, you know, learn from it,” he told reporters about his missed catch that led to a Bengals interception.
“Glad it happened in the preseason,” he later added, saying his preseason debut allowed for “cleaning up little mistakes” ahead of the regular season.
He should still have plenty of time to show what he’s capable of, as he could have a breakout performance or two once he becomes more comfortable during the regular season.
The team still has hopes for Lemon, too, as they’ll look to him as the potential future star on their receiving corps, after parting ways with their Pro Bowl receiver, AJ Brown, this offseason.
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