RP Clips: What's the Role for Makai Lemon Look Like?

**Matt Harmon** (0:00)
This is Reception Perception, The Show. Now, James Koh and Matt Harmon.

**James Koh** (0:06)
Makai Lemon has been dealing with some soft-tissue stuff.
Haven't heard a lot out of Philadelphia in regards to Makai Lemon. I think, theoretically, on paper, Matt, you're like, okay, cool, he should be a really good and really exciting number two opposite of DeVonta Smith. But we just haven't heard a lot of Makai Lemon, man. Where are we on the rookie trust tree for Makai Lemon?

**Matt Harmon** (0:33)
I think Lemon is going to start the season slow. I mean, it just is what it is. Like you miss a ton of time with the hamstring injury. That's just going to be part of the deal. So I wouldn't expect him to come out. I expect him to run fewer routes than Dontavian Wicks in the first three weeks of the season. Now, it might take one Wicks drop to change that, and then it's like, okay, Makai Lemon's out there, but ultimately, I think this is an offense that...
I'm not going to say that Makai Lemon's rookie season is going to be lost. I don't feel that way at all. I mean, he could be like a second half of the season guy, but they're installing a new offense with new players, and he just hasn't been out there a lot. And it'd be one thing if... I think reacting to how his drop in the preseason, that stuff's nonsense. I actually think he looked okay at times out there. Preseason production doesn't matter to me at all.
But if he'd gone out there and had 100 yards and a touchdown in the preseason, maybe we're having a different conversation. But right now, I do expect Dontavian Wicks to be the wide receiver to open the season across from DeVonta Smith simply because Makai Lemon hasn't been healthy enough to get ramped up here.

**James Koh** (1:48)
I agree with that, man. I wonder if it's Dontavian season there in Philadelphia. Look, he's playing with a guy in Jalen Hurts that I think, in my opinion, really needs a lot of...
They need a lot of reps together, you know?
I have gone on record in saying I think the Jalen Hurts discussion is way out of control and doesn't make a lot of sense. But that being said, I think we can all sit here and agree that he is his best when he can build a lot of chemistry with his receivers. And obviously, he has not done that at all with Makai Lemon. So I'm with you, man. I'm anticipating or I'm hoping for a second half breakout here from Makai. But I think in the first six, seven, eight weeks of the season, I think it's going to be a real, it's going to be heavy dosages of DeVonta Smith. And then the other guys will kind of sort of work for all those number two targets. I think it's going to be very inconsistent in regards. I don't think, look, I'll say this. I don't think there's going to be a consistent number two. I think that is probably my take and my read on Philadelphia.

**Matt Harmon** (3:00)
Yeah. I think that's pretty close to how I feel as well. I think DeVonta Smith is going to dominate targets there.