USC Trojans Makai Lemon Minnesota Vikings NFL Draft Lincoln Riley Justin Jefferson Jordan Addison Biletnikoff prospect Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

USC Star Makai Lemon Projected To Perfect NFL Situation In First Round

Originally posted on USC Trojans on SI | By Kyron Samuels | Last updated Oct 8, 2025 3:03 PM ET

USC Trojans star wide receiver Makai Lemon is having one of the most remarkable starts to a season in recent memory. Just five games in, Lemon is on pace to have arguably the best season for a wide receiver in USC’s illustrious history of producing at the position.

The 5’11, 195-pound do-it-all threat is no longer flying under the radar. Lemon is the favorite to win the Biletnikoff Award, given to the best wide receiver in college football.

Now, Lemon is also receiving first-round draft pick love. In a recent mock draft, Lemon was selected 17th overall by the Minnesota Vikings, joining All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson as a new weapon in Kevin O’Connell’s vaunted offensive attack. Lemon’s ability to find space and attack defenses both vertically and in intermediate areas is a gift for any coach and pairs well with any type of receiver.

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“Makai Lemon, who also excels as a returner, is a dynamic, versatile receiver with explosive burst, top-tier route-running, and exceptional YAC ability, making him a threat at all three levels of the field. He excels in space and consistently creates separation with quickness, balance, and body control, and has the tackle-breaking ability to turn short gains into big plays,” Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports said.

“He’s a guy that we feel like can do a lot of different things well on the field and that allows us to use him in different areas and be creative and try to get him in situations where we feel like the advantage is going to be ours,” USC coach Lincoln Riley said. “He’s improving. He works hard out here at his craft, football’s important to him. And he just keeps getting better and better and I think our confidence in him just keeps growing as well.”

“I don’t rank ’em while they play for me, but he’s playing good ball for us right now,” Riley said. “I mean his versatility and consistency really stands out to me in the way that he’s playing.”

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There’s also the added component of playing with USC Trojans star, wide receiver Jordan Addison. Lemon, Addison, and Jefferson would inarguably be the most talented wide receiver trio in the NFL, and the USC connection would be a pleasure for Trojan fans to get a glimpse of every Sunday. Their styles complement each other on and off the field, and the stress a pairing like that would put on defenses is a coaching and quarterback dream.

Lemon is on track to have a historic year for the Trojans, and should he hold pace, he could cement himself as a surefire first-round draft pick. Lemon has everything you could dream of for an NFL receiver outside of elite height, but the way he plays the game doesn’t require that type of length. Makai Lemon should be a first-round draft pick, and he’s well on his way to becoming one.

This article first appeared on USC Trojans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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