One of the most common picks for the Los Angeles Rams in mock drafts is USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, including Peter Schrager’s mock that made waves around the NFL on Tuesday.
According to Underdog Sports’ mock draft analysis tool that we previewed last week, Lemon is a common target for both the Miami Dolphins (11th overall) and the Rams. This is the full picture for LA:
- Makai Lemon – 31%
- Jordyn Tyson – 24%
- Spencer Fano – 14%
- Monroe Freeling – 6%
- KC Concepcion – 5%
One key determinant in whether Lemon falls to LA will be how the NFL views the health of Arizona State wideout Jordyn Tyson. Tyson’s college career was plagued by missed games due to injuries to his knee, collarbone, and hamstring. The hamstring has limited his ability to perform in the combine and display his talents in front of teams. Schrager mocked Tyson to the Chiefs within the top 10, which could mean that he’s hearing across the league that concerns surrounding the history of injuries may be overstated. If Tyson does last longer than expected, Lemon could in turn rise up draft boards and not make it to the Rams at #13.
Is Lemon worthy of pick #13?
Make what you want of pro comparisons for draft prospects, but two of the most common reference points for Lemon is Amon-Ra St. Brown and Puka Nacua. The problem with these comparisons is that St. Brown was a fourth round pick and Nacua lasted to the fifth. We can ask whether they were selected later than they deserved; however, one thing is certain—slot receivers and players of Lemon’s makeup don’t often get selected in the top 15 of the draft.
Let’s expand the conversation and look at the best slot receivers in the NFL and the round they were drafted:
- Amon-Ra St. Brown – 4th
- Khalil Shakir – 5th
- Wan’Dale Robinson – 2nd
- DeVonta Smith – 1st
- Ladd McConkey – 2nd
Purposefully excluded:
Players who appeared in the slot less often than 40% of their passing snaps
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba (23.9% slot rate in 2025)
- Puka Nacua (36.1%)
- Zay Flowers (33.9%)
- Ja’Marr Chase (32.6%)
- Emeka Egbuka (37.0%)
After sorting the data, it’s clear that the outlier in this group is DeVonta Smith. Smith had notable size concerns ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft and was taken by the Eagles 10th overall. Nearly 57% of his passing snaps saw him aligned in the slot last season. In five years Smith has already accumulated 5,684 yards and 33 touchdowns.
There isn’t much recent precedent to suggest that Lemon is worthy of a top 15 selection like Smith. This is an unusual draft class where there might only be a dozen or so players that would be locks as first round picks in most drafts, and they strangely are concentrated a lower value positions like linebacker, defensive back, and interior offensive line.
This, of course, works in Lemon’s favor. Teams may choose production over long-term outlook and position value. It’s not difficult to talk yourself into a hardnosed receiver like Lemon even if in most drafts he might be better suited selection in the late first or early second rounds.
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