The Baltimore Ravens are being projected to take a swing at wide receiver in the middle of the first round and this time, it’s different. In a recent 2026 NFL mock draft, ESPN NFL Draft analyst Field Yates has the Ravens selecting USC Trojans star Makai Lemon at No. 14 overall, a move that would signal Baltimore’s clearest attempt yet to land a true No. 1 target for Lamar Jackson.
If that projection holds, Lemon would become the highest-drafted Ravens wide receiver since Travis Taylor in 2000. That alone frames the stakes. Baltimore has drafted first-round receivers before, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown (2019), Rashod Bateman (2021), and Zay Flowers (2023), but all came in the 20s as the franchise routinely picked late due to postseason success. This time, the Ravens would be selecting in the mid-teens and betting on Lemon to change the ceiling of their passing attack.
Baltimore Ravens Could View Makai Lemon as a Day 1 Receiver
Nov 22, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) catches a pass during the first half against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
The Ravens’ need for playmaking in the passing game has never been more glaring. Baltimore finished 30th in receiving first downs last season (141), ahead of only the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns. They also ranked 30th in yards after the catch. For a team built around Jackson’s playmaking, that lack of explosive receiver production continues to surface in big moments. Lemon directly addresses both issues.
In 2025, he caught 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging just over 14 yards per reception. He led the draft class in first downs (50) and explosive gains (31), ranked first in yards per route run (3.09), and posted a class-best 92.4 career receiving grade. Those are not volume stats inflated by system usage, they are efficiency markers that translate.
He also forced 21 missed tackles, finished top-10 in yards after the catch (502), and proved he can stretch the field with 16 receptions beyond 20 yards for 522 yards and five touchdowns. In short: he wins short, intermediate, and deep.
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That versatility matters in Baltimore’s offense. Lemon logged 52 receptions for 791 yards and seven touchdowns from the slot last season, averaging 3.03 yards per route run from that alignment. He earned elite grades at every depth beyond the line of scrimmage and even posted near-perfect efficiency on deep targets.
At 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, Lemon does not profile as the prototypical 6-foot-4 boundary receiver. But the league has shifted. Production and separation matter more than frame alone. Wide receivers like Los Angeles Rams’ Puka Nacua and Seattle Seahawks’ Jaxson Smith-Njigba have shown that route nuance, contact balance, and football IQ can outweigh pure size. Lemon checks those boxes.
Baltimore’s Receiver History And Why This Feels Different
Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) celebrates after catching a 32-yard touchdown pass against the UCLA Bruins in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Ravens have tried to build through the position before. Brown flashed but produced only one 1,000-yard season before being traded. Bateman battled early-career injuries and has functioned best in a complementary role. Flowers is coming off a Pro Bowl season with 86 catches for 1,211 yards, but Baltimore still lacks a consistent counterpart defenses must fear snap-to-snap. Lemon offers the potential to be more than a complement.
He arrived at USC as a four-star recruit in the 2023 class and improved each season. By 2024, he led the Trojans in receiving yards (764) and showed No. 1 flashes in the Las Vegas Bowl. In 2025, he fully arrived, winning the Biletnikoff Award as college football’s top receiver. The hot start along with consistent progression shows that Lemon is not already a finished product, but someone who can still elevate his game to another level as he is given more responsibility.
Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) carries the ball against UCLA Bruins defensive back Andre Jordan Jr. (2) in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
That trajectory matters. Development is often the separator between good prospects and cornerstone players. If Baltimore pulls the trigger at No. 14, it would not simply be adding depth. It would be making a franchise statement: that Lamar Jackson deserves a true first-round talent at receiver capable of elevating the offense in January.
For a team that has consistently contended but fallen short offensively in key postseason moments, Makai Lemon could represent the bold correction. And if he lands in Baltimore, he would step into an opportunity to become the Ravens’ most important wide receiver investment in over two decades.