{"id":859209,"date":"2026-04-07T15:44:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T15:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/859209\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T15:44:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T15:44:16","slug":"rams-take-uscs-makai-lemon-in-schragers-first-mock-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/859209\/","title":{"rendered":"Rams Take USC’s Makai Lemon in Schrager’s First Mock Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"AThe Rams’ selection of Makai Lemon in the first round reflects their desire to win now while also planning for the future.Los Angeles Today<\/p>\n

In his first mock draft of the season, ESPN’s Peter Schrager has the Los Angeles Rams selecting USC wide receiver Makai Lemon with the 13th overall pick. Lemon, the 2025 Biletnikoff Award winner, would provide the Rams with a talented young receiver to complement veteran Davante Adams, who is entering the final year of his contract.<\/p>\n

Why it matters<\/p>\n

The Rams’ selection of Lemon signals their commitment to both winning in the short term with Matthew Stafford and building for the future, as Adams turns 34 in December. However, the pick may not be the best fit for the team’s immediate needs, as other receivers like Jordyn Tyson and Carnell Tate were already off the board by the time the Rams were on the clock.<\/p>\n

The details<\/p>\n

In Schrager’s mock, the Kansas City Chiefs selected Tyson at 9th overall, and the Miami Dolphins took Tate two picks before the Rams. With those top receivers gone, Los Angeles opted for Lemon, who Schrager says ‘fits with a lot of what the Rams do on offense.’ The pick could be a sign that the Rams are ‘truly all-in to win in 2026,’ potentially Matthew Stafford’s final season, while also keeping an eye on the long term with Adams nearing the end of his contract.<\/p>\n

The 2026 NFL Draft will take place in late April.<\/p>\n

The players<\/p>\n

Peter Schrager<\/p>\n

An ESPN analyst who released his first mock draft of the 2026 NFL Draft season.<\/p>\n

Makai Lemon<\/p>\n

A wide receiver from the University of Southern California who won the 2025 Biletnikoff Award.<\/p>\n

Matthew Stafford<\/p>\n

The veteran quarterback of the Los Angeles Rams who may be entering his final NFL season.<\/p>\n

Davante Adams<\/p>\n

The star wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams who is entering the final year of his contract and will turn 34 in December.<\/p>\n

Jordyn Tyson<\/p>\n

A wide receiver prospect selected 9th overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in Schrager’s mock draft.<\/p>\n

Carnell Tate<\/p>\n

A wide receiver prospect selected 11th overall by the Miami Dolphins in Schrager’s mock draft.<\/p>\n

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\n What they\u2019re saying<\/p>\n

\u201cLemon fits with a lot of what the Rams do on offense. And taking the 2025 Biletnikoff Award winner would be a sign that the Rams are truly all-in to win in 2026, potentially Matthew Stafford’s final season. But this pick would also have the long term in mind, with Davante Adams entering the final year of his deal and turning 34 in December.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Peter Schrager, ESPN Analyst<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next<\/p>\n

The Rams will continue to evaluate their options leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft, which will take place in late April. They may look to trade up to secure a top receiver prospect if one of their preferred targets is not available at 13th overall.<\/p>\n

The takeaway<\/p>\n

The Rams’ selection of Makai Lemon in Schrager’s mock draft highlights the team’s desire to win now with Matthew Stafford while also planning for the future, as veteran receiver Davante Adams nears the end of his contract. However, the pick may not be the ideal fit for the Rams’ immediate needs, as other top receiver prospects were off the board by the time they were on the clock.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a The Rams’ selection of Makai Lemon in the first round…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":859210,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2079],"tags":[7,1014,58,2444,2611,6,424],"class_list":{"0":"post-859209","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles-rams","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-los-angeles","10":"tag-los-angeles-rams","11":"tag-losangeles","12":"tag-losangelesrams","13":"tag-nfl","14":"tag-rams"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/859209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=859209"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/859209\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/859210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=859209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=859209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=859209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}