Updated Jan. 21, 2026, 10:46 a.m. ET

A 2026 NFL mock draft from ESPN’s Mel Kiper projects the Baltimore Ravens will select wide receiver Makai Lemon.Lemon, a junior from USC, won the Biletnikoff Award as college football’s most outstanding receiver.He recorded 79 catches for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Trojans this season.The selection would address Baltimore’s need for more receiving talent alongside Zay Flowers.

The Ravens are winding down their head coach search, naming multiple finalists, and with the new league year fast approaching, the team will sign free agents and extend Lamar Jackson’s contract. Amid those projects, is Baltimore preparing for the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh?

Baltimore has several needs, but with DeAndre Hopkins on a one-year deal and Rashod Bateman having an underwhelming season, wide receiver is definitely the position to watch. ESPN’s Mel Kiper just released his first mock of the off-season and the Ravens are predicted to land the Biletnikoff Award winner, Makai Lemon, at No. 14 overall.

14. Baltimore Ravens

Makai Lemon, WR, USC

Lemon is one of my favorite prospects in this class. He attacks the ball in the air, and you can see his competitiveness in the way he plays the game. Like Zay Flowers, he’s on the smaller side at 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds. But also like Flowers, he still has inside-outside flexibility. Lemon went for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns this past season, and that kind of production could help get Lamar Jackson back to MVP levels.

The USC junior wide receiver was dominant for the Trojans this season, while serving as Jayden Maiava’s favorite target in the team’s high-powered passing attack. He won the Biletnikoff Award as the most outstanding wide receiver in college football after he caught 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns. Lemon had just three touchdown catches in his first two college seasons combined.

Lemon was third among all FBS players in receiving yards per game, with 96.3, fourth in receiving yards, and tied for seventh in touchdown receptions.

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