# Brandon Deutsch: Brandon Deutsch calls USC receiver Makai Lemon the best receiver in the draft class, says he won't get past pick 13 to the Rams, and expects him to top 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie.

**Claimed:** Feb 8, 2026
**Pundit:** Brandon Deutsch — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/brandon-deutsch
**Outlet:** Fox Sports Radio (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/fox-sports-radio-podcast
**How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview
**Original:** https://omny.fm/shows/fox-sports-radio-weekends/bernie-fratto-previews-super-bowl-sunday-gives-his-pick-and-is-joined-by-scott-pritchard-and-mark-medina

3 checkable claims — 1 mock draft pick, 1 player season number and 1 position order call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.

1 of 3 have settled so far, averaging 50 out of 100, against 12.8 for a naive guess at the same calls.

> I don't think he gets past pick thirteen to the Rams.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Makai Lemon to be 1st wide receiver off the board**
  - Kind: Position Order Calls · About: Makai Lemon
  - Verdict: scored 50 out of 100, against 12.84 for a naive guess
- **Makai Lemon to be picked “doesn't get past pick thirteen”**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Makai Lemon
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Makai Lemon to record 1,000 receiving yards**
  - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: Makai Lemon
  - Verdict: not settled yet

## Who this take is about

- Makai Lemon — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/makai-lemon

## What others said about the same people

- Jeff Kerr on Makai Lemon: Kerr's updated 53-man roster projection for the Eagles after eight training camp practices, naming which players make the team at each position plus depth-chart placements like Wicks as WR2, Mundt as TE2, Kendall as third guard, Bell as third tackle, and Epps/Carter battling to start at safety. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/328a952b-d6b4-4065-aac9-0029421fb50f (scored 100)
- Jeff Kerr on Makai Lemon: Kerr judges Eagles camp overreactions: he doubts Jalen Hurts reaches 30 touchdown passes, thinks only one of Darius Cooper or Johnny Wilson makes the 53 (with Cooper leading the WR5 race), and expects Dallas Goedert to post double-digit receiving touchdowns again. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e4e149d7-62f4-4077-bed0-e267c3dee9d6 (scored 100)
- Jeff Kerr on Makai Lemon: Kerr ranks the Eagles' 2025 draft picks by cut risk, predicting seventh-rounders Keyshawn James-Newby and Cole Wisniewski land on the practice squad, while Cole Payton, Uar Bernard, Makai Lemon, Eli Stowers and Markel Bell make the 53. He also says Lemon starts Week 1 and Bell is the right tackle of the future. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/ae8f39f7-dab8-4908-a53e-e3401a7c8bee (scored 0)
- Jeff Kerr on Makai Lemon: Kerr's third Eagles 53-man roster projection names the players he expects to make the team at each position, with Cole Payton, Elijah Moore, Johnny Wilson, Gabe Hall and Rocco Underwood left off; he also predicts Underwood is exposed to waivers and returns to the practice squad, Deontae Lawson lands on the practice squad, and Eli Stowers is the TE3. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/2120c4ea-7113-4ebf-9ebc-0d4a62d83c3a (scored 100)
- Jeff Kerr on Makai Lemon: In his second Eagles 53-man roster projection nine practices into training camp, Kerr names 35 roster locks and eight more players likely to make the team, plus depth-chart calls at backup quarterback, RB3, No. 3 guard and backup center. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/4e6e81fc-dc8e-4cb6-87ad-d62d4f5b85bf (scored 100)
- Pat Fitzmaurice on Makai Lemon: Making a third of the mock's picks, he gave Reuben Bain to Arizona at 3, Francis Mauinoa to Cleveland at 6, Jeremiah Love to Kansas City at 9, Mansoor Delane to Dallas at 12, Cassius Howell to Tampa Bay at 15, Avieon Terrell to Minnesota at 18, Makai Lemon to Pittsburgh at 21, KC Concepcion to Cleveland at 24, Kadyn Proctor to San Francisco at 27 and TJ Parker to New England at 30. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a61a436c-f178-40ce-aedd-fa92cbc80c82 (scored 95.76)

## More position order calls

The same kind of call, about other players and teams.

- Ryan Wilson on J.J. McCarthy: Recalling his pre-draft evaluation, Wilson notes he had ranked J.J. McCarthy as the fifth quarterback in the 2024 class and given him a second-round grade rather than a first-round one, citing the gap between Michigan's system and NFL demands. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/44cc5859-8b2b-4fbf-b5c0-62c635f2e357 (scored 100)
- Nick Shook on Olaivavega Ioane: Shook walks through his full first-round mock draft, assigning a prospect to every pick from No. 1 to No. 32, headlined by Fernando Mendoza to the Raiders, David Bailey to the Jets and Jeremiah Love to the Cardinals in the top three. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/7d4209aa-2e2d-47a2-b6e5-791d16d209cb (scored 35.36)
- Rhett Lewis on Tyler Shough: Lewis names Louisville's Tyler Shough as the new QB3 of the class — the third quarterback off the board — and views Milroe as a second-round selection. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/d116ab63-5271-4b18-838b-29bb93d58530 (scored 100)
- Nick Wright on Carnell Tate: Nick Wright laid out his full mock draft 3.0 for the 2026 NFL Draft, pick by pick through the first round, and also predicted AJ Brown would finish top five in the NFL in receiving yards with the Patriots. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/77faa345-d736-4a90-8185-b1b92c789e5a (scored 100)
- Todd McShay on K.C. Concepcion: McShay's mock draft 4.0 has Fernando Mendoza and David Bailey going 1-2 to the Raiders and Jets, the Saints trading up to No. 3 for Arvell Reese, the Titans taking Jeremiah Love at 4, the Giants taking Francis Mauigoa at 5 (though he'd now switch to Sonny Styles), the Cowboys trading up to 6, the Jets trading up to 7 for Carnell Tate, and Arizona trading up to 30 for Ty Simpson. He also predicts seven offensive tackles go in the first round and that Love, Styles, Downs and Reese all go in the top seven. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/cd11036a-b55c-47a9-92e8-5b088260ca47 (scored 100)
- Keith Sanchez on Jordyn Tyson: As relayed by Harrison, Sanchez's latest mock draft has Carnell Tate going to Washington, Jordan Tyson as the first receiver off the board at No. 5 to the Giants, Makai Lemmon at 11 and Chris Brasel at 30 to Miami, Sonny Styles at No. 8 to New Orleans, and Caleb Downs at No. 13 to the Rams. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/226ec0b5-6535-45ba-8b77-609e3e51ca6e (scored 70.71)

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Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. The naive guess is what a strategy requiring no knowledge would have scored on the same call — the difference is the skill, and it is what the MissedTakes Score averages.

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