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2026 NFL Draft Recap: Philadelphia Eagles
Makai Lemon — WR, USC
Selected at No. 20 overall in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Philadelphia Eagles made 8 total selections in this draft class.
SWN draft grade: A-
The Eagles traded up to No. 20 to select USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, the 2025 Biletnikoff Award winner, then added Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers at No. 54. Howie Roseman's aggressive maneuvering produced a high-end offensive class to support Jalen Hurts.
Players to Watch
The Philadelphia Eagles' highest-impact 2026 draft picks — the rookies most likely to make immediate contributions and the ones to follow heading into training camp:
Makai Lemon
Round 1, Pick 20The 2025 Fred Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation's top receiver. Lemon caught 95 passes for 1,500 yards and 14 touchdowns his final college season, dominating Pac-12/Big Ten defenses with route precision and YAC ability. The Eagles traded up to ensure they landed him, and he immediately gives Jalen Hurts another elite weapon alongside A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Year 1 expectations: 700+ yards and 5+ touchdowns as the third option in a loaded passing game.
Eli Stowers
Round 2, Pick 54A receiving tight end out of Vanderbilt with the catch radius and route feel to work the seams. Pairs with Dallas Goedert to give Jalen Hurts another middle-of-the-field target and create matchup problems in the red zone.
Uar Bernard
Round 7, Pick 251One of the most talked-about picks of the entire draft. A 6-foot-4, 306-pound athlete from Abuja, Nigeria, Bernard came up through the NFL's International Player Pathway program and was drafted having never played a down of organized football — discovered for basketball at 16, with elite reported testing numbers (a sub-4.7 forty and a 39-inch vertical at his size) that made him impossible to ignore. GM Howie Roseman has hit on this profile before: the comparison is Jordan Mailata, the rugby player Philadelphia took in the seventh round who became a starting left tackle. Bernard is a true long-term project learning the position from the ground up under D-line coach Clint Hurtt — one to follow for the upside, not for 2026 snaps.
Full Philadelphia Eagles Draft Class
| Round | Pick | Player | Pos. | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | Makai Lemon | WR | USC |
| 2 | 54 | Eli Stowers | TE | Vanderbilt |
| 3 | 68 | Markel Bell | OT | Miami (FL) |
| 5 | 178 | Cole Payton | QB | North Dakota State |
| 6 | 207 | Micah Morris | G | Georgia |
| 7 | 244 | Cole Wisniewski | SAF | Texas Tech |
| 7 | 251 | Uar Bernard | DT | International Pathway |
| 7 | 252 | Keyshawn James-Newby | EDGE | New Mexico |