4) Makai Lemon, WR, Philadelphia Eagles (Pick 1-20). My final overall ranking: No. 8. Lemon ranked as my top wide receiver in the class and was an exceptional value at No. 20, especially because predraft rumors had him going to the Rams at No. 13 or the Jets at No. 16. An added factor is the shrewd move by the Eagles to trade up and jump the Steelers — who were on the phone with Lemon telling him he would be their pick at No. 21. Draft-day drama involving trades is the best, and Philadelphia played the board brilliantly to secure a future running mate for DeVonta Smith. Even with A.J. Brown destined to be a Patriot once his contract is tradeable after June 1, adding a premier wideout in this class wasn\u2019t expected. But it ended up being one of the best picks of the draft. [\u2026] 27) Eli Stowers, TE, Philadelphia Eagles (Pick 2-54). My final overall ranking: No. 58. At an almost even value, the Eagles made a brilliant pick that addresses both immediate and long-term needs while continuing to build around quarterback Jalen Hurts. Stowers broke records at the combine in the vertical (45\u00bd inches) and broad jump (11-3) while running a 4.51 40 at 6-4 and 251 pounds. He\u2019s a seam-stretching target who maximizes yards with the ball in his hands. Given Dallas Goedert\u2019s age (31) and the fact that his contract expires after this season, Stowers should be seen as his heir apparent. By adding Lemon and Stowers in back-to-back rounds, Philadelphia went all-in on offense, which should pay off.<\/p>\n
Makai Lemon talks DeVonta Smith, getting Nick Foles\u2019 blessing to wear No. 9 – BGN<\/a> Which 2026 NFL draft pick stood out to you the most? – SB Nation<\/a> Eagles rookie camp notes – PhillyVoice<\/a> Rookie Camp Opens – Iggles Blitz<\/a> 2026 NFL Draft: Philadelphia Eagles draft recap – PFF<\/a> Sean Mannion making a good 1st impression on Eagles rookies – NBCSP<\/a> Uar Bernard welcomed to NFL \u2014 and to football \u2014 in Eagles\u2019 first rookie practice – The Athletic<\/a> One Cowboys defender will be under pressure to keep his spot – Blogging The Boys<\/a> What Dan Quinn said about Commanders taking Sonny Styles in NFL draft – Hogs Haven<\/a> New York Giants mailbag: Defensive tackle, Caleb Downs, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Colton Hood – Big Blue View<\/a> Social Media Information:<\/p>\n BGN Facebook Page: Click here to like our page<\/a><\/p>\n BGN Twitter: Follow @BleedingGreen<\/a><\/p>\n BGN BlueSky: Follow @bleedgreennation.bsky.social<\/a><\/p>\n BGN Instagram: Follow @BleedingGreenInsta<\/a><\/p>\n BGN Manager: Follow Brandon Lee Gowton on Twitter<\/a> | BlueSky<\/a> | Threads<\/a><\/p>\n BGN Radio Twitter: Follow @BGN_Radio<\/a><\/p>\n Each day, we highlight a BGN community post here in this space. Head over to The Feed<\/a> to submit your entry and have a chance to be featured in The Linc!<\/p>\n Cowboys fans grade the Eagles draft<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Pretty reasonable considering it’s not that different to the votes on here (minus the auto-Fs some of them handed out).<\/p>\n Also, shout out to WiltsJunk for some quality replies to stupidity in there (not a sentence I thought I’d ever write).<\/p>\n
The rookies are in the building, and the day before they were set to take the practice field for the first time, they spoke to reporters to answers some questions. Makai Lemon expressed being eager to get out on the field and get to work, but also said he\u2019s taken some time before he falls asleep at night to appreciate the surreal experience of realizing his dream of playing in the NFL. The Eagles\u2019 first-round pick said that he\u2019s been loving the City of Philadelphia since he got to town, and he definitely felt the love at the Sixers game last weekend. Lemon also said he\u2019s excited to be in an offense like this, and thinks his skillset will mesh really well with what they\u2019re trying to do. Here\u2019s some of what he had to say.<\/p>\n
Which draft pick was a statement about their new team\u2019s future? RJ: One of the biggest stories of the NFL offseason has been that the Philadelphia Eagles are going to trade AJ Brown. It has reached the point where several outlets refer to it as inevitable and discuss it in that manner. As inevitable as it may be, to date there has been no hard or concrete proof of this becoming a potential reality. This certainly changed during the first round when Philly moved up to draft USC wideout Makai Lemon. It seems like the dawn of a new future for the Eagles offense has officially begun. You can argue that nobody signaled more about their future than the Eagles did in this respect. Maybe the Rams with Ty Simpson, but that\u2019s about it.<\/p>\n
QB Cole Payton: Payton is currently the QB4, so he has very little chance of getting on the field as a quarterback as a rookie. He\u2019s also a 230+ pound guy and a good runner. And so, he was asked if he had ever thought about being used in a non-quarterback role while he develops as a quarterback. \u201cIf that\u2019s what the team wants, if that\u2019s what team needs, I\u2019m all for it,\u201d he said. Payton added that he did play in games at NDSU at running back, tight end, and on special teams.<\/p>\n
Makai Lemon got a lot of attention since he was the star of the team\u2019s draft class. You see quickness, great body control and natural hands. We saw all of that on his college tape, but it is always reassuring to see it from the player once he\u2019s in your uniform and on your practice field. You can see a real difference in him and the guys after him. Lemon makes it look natural, almost easy. That\u2019s what you want from a first round pick. If things are forced, stiff or almost mechanical, that\u2019s not going to work in the NFL.<\/p>\n
Micah Morris: Morris logged 803 snaps in 2025 and earned a 72.0 PFF grade, driven largely by his pass protection. His 83.7 pass-blocking grade ranked 34th among qualifying interior linemen, and he allowed pressure on just 1.0% of pass-blocking snaps (tied for ninth) with a 2.55% loss rate (27th). His impact was more limited in the run game, where he posted a 67.2 run-blocking grade (tied for 113th) and an 11.9% impact run-block rate (tied for 128th). At 6-foot-4 and 330 pounds, he brings size and stability in pass protection, which aligns with his No. 242 ranking on PFF\u2019s Big Board as a depth interior lineman with pass-game value.<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t take long for the Eagles\u2019 rookies to be impressed by Sean Mannion. Just a few days. \u201cI know he\u2019s going to be really good for this program,\u201d second-round pick Eli Stowers said. \u201cHe\u2019s a really smart mind. Just learning the offense in the few days that I have, I can tell that it\u2019s going to be a really good scheme and that we\u2019re going to be able to make some really good plays. Our offense is going to be powerful because of him. I\u2019m really excited to work with him.\u201d Mannion, 34, is entering his first season as the Eagles\u2019 offensive coordinator in 2026 and will be vital to the success of the team this season. Despite having plenty of talent last year, the Eagles\u2019 offense woefully underperformed, which led to the ouster of former offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo after one season at the helm. The Eagles went through an exhaustive search to hire Mannion and will now turn over the keys of the offense to a guy with just two years of coaching experience.<\/p>\n
Uar Bernard needed help with his helmet. It was one of the first drills in the first football practice of Bernard\u2019s life, a baby step in a giant experiment. The Philadelphia Eagles used a seventh-round draft choice on a 6-foot-4, 306-pound mystery from a Nigerian village who has never played football, tantalized by athletic testing at the NFL\u2019s International Player Pathway program that prompted comparisons to NFL star Myles Garrett on the NFL Draft broadcast. Before Bernard could swipe at a tackling dummy, he needed his helmet latched. A teammate trying out for the Eagles from Lehigh University helped Bernard with the chinstrap, gave him a friendly slap above the head, and watched Bernard work. Then Bernard waved his hands in preparation, crouched into a three-point stance, swatted away a tackling dummy, swiped at a football and chased another loose ball as part of the defensive line drill. A few minutes later, Eagles defensive line coach Clint Hurtt worked with Bernard on hitting a tackling sled. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman watched closely on the side, emboldened from the experience eight years earlier when they drafted a mammoth-sized rugby player from Australia named Jordan Mailata in the seventh round and watched him develop into one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL.<\/p>\n
Shavon Revel was highly touted coming out of East Carolina, but his injury history made him fall to day two of the 2025 NFL draft. In his rookie campaign, it was obvious Revel was still not fully back to his pre-injury self and he hopes to have a full offseason to prepare for year two. But unlike last year, there is a lot more competition in the room this season. Veteran corner Cobie Durant was signed to a one-year deal in free agency and has a lot of starting experience on the outside under his belt. The Cowboys also drafted Devin Moore in the fourth-round of the 2026 NFL draft, and hearing Will McClay talk about him on the DLLS Cowboys podcast earlier this week, the team has big plans for the Florida cornerback, if he\u2019s able to stay healthy. There are also players like Derion Kendrick, Caelen Carson, Josh Butler and Trikweze Bridges waiting for their shot.<\/p>\n
Dan Quinn looked right into a Commanders in-house camera moments after Washington selected linebacker Sonny Styles and said two words we\u2019ll have to paraphrase on this family-friendly site. \u201cEff yeah.\u201d The Commanders got their guy. Their head coach was pumped. Rightfully so. Styles was one of the best prospects in the 2026 NFL draft, only available at No. 7 overall because he plays a non-premium position. Styles should be a game-changer for a team looking to get younger and faster on defense, with the smarts, savvy and athletic traits to star in the NFL.<\/p>\n
Doug, first of all let\u2019s remember that having to trade Dexter Lawrence was a late complication that the Giants had hoped would not be necessary. At the beginning of free agency, when most of the top players sign, I\u2019m sure they did not believe they would be trying to replace him. As things have developed, it was clear that D.J. Reader was Plan A. They were pursuing Reader even before trading Lawrence. Let\u2019s remember that Reader is a good player who is a FREE AGENT with options. He can make his own choice about who he wants to play with, and knowing the situation a team like the Giants are in he and his representatives cannot be blamed if they makes interested teams sweat while trying to squeeze every last dollar out of a deal that they can. Do the Giants have enough without Reader? Whether it is Reader or another experienced nose tackle, even someone they pick up when roster cuts are made at the end of August, I would say no. They don\u2019t have someone on the roster who has been a successful nose tackle at the NFL level, and I think they would want to find one before Week 1.<\/p>\n![\"brunog39\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/4FApLCBCmU-fceef35a-a009-4fde-b343-31667d245765.jpeg\"\/)
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