Eagles rookie wide receiver, first-round pick Makai Lemon returns to practice
Lemon and the Eagles will play the Patriots in the second preseason game for both teams on Saturday.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Makai Lemon is officially back.
On Thursday, the Eagles wide receiver — who had been nursing a hamstring injury for over two weeks — returned to practice for the first time since Day 4 of Eagles training camp on Aug. 3.
It was an eventful week for the rookie to return as the Eagles took on the Patriots in the second of two joint practices at the New Balance Athletics Center adjacent to Gillette Stadium.
The 22-year-old Lemon was still limited on Thursday and he did not participate in team drills, but his return to full-pad action is encouraging.
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This comes one day after the Eagles listed Lemon as limited on a day when Lemon was not in full uniform and was mostly held out. Last week, Lemon was on the field prior to practices at Jefferson Health Training Complex, catching passes from the JUGS machine and partaking in light warmups.
DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks, Hollywood Brown, Elijah Moore and Darius Cooper have topped the wide receiver depth chart with Lemon sidelined.
Lemon’s return is crucial for an Eagles passing offense that struggled against New England on Wednesday and was held to seven points in their preseason loss to the Ravens last Saturday. The Eagles selected Lemon with the No. 20 overall pick in April’s draft with the expectation that he would bolster the offense. Quarterback Jalen Hurts praised the former USC star last week.
“I think he’s been very intentional with [learning]. I think he’s all ears,” Hurts said. “I think he’s a very intentional, quiet, mild-mannered hard worker. He’s hungry.
“[USC] Coach [Lincoln] Riley has always said a great number of things about Makai and how he prepares and how intense he is in the walkthroughs. I’ve seen the same thing here.”
Just a few months ago, when Eagles training camp got underway, the defense drew rave reviews. The prevailing sentiment was that the unit was poised to dominate this year. So far through three games, Vic Fangio’s group has done anything but. From the lack of forced turnovers to missed coverage assignments, the Eagles have plenty of room for improvement. Can Fangio work his magic to get the defense on track in time for this week’s showdown with the high-powered LA Rams? The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane puts the defense under the microscope, and also answers listener questions in this week’s mailbag. Listen here.
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