Philadelphia legend Seth Joyner had something to get off his chest. And honestly, it needed to be said.
After watching a clip of ESPN’s Mina Kimes talk about rookie receiver Makai Lemon filling some of the gaps for the Eagles this season, Joyner took to social media to push back. Hard. Kimes had said Lemon “fills a lot of the gaps that were pretty noticeable last year,” which is true in the sense that the Eagles offense had issues. But Joyner’s point was more specific: don’t expect Lemon to be AJ Brown. Because that’s not who he is.
Brown is now in New England after the Eagles traded their star wideout. And the assumption from fans and media alike has been that someone — whether it’s DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks, or first-round pick Makai Lemon — has to step into that WR1 role and replicate Brown’s production. Joyner isn’t buying it.
“Gaps? First the o-line was decimated by injury, and the OC was in way over his head!” Joyner wrote. “AJ was primarily an X WR and probably the top 50/50 ball WR in the NFL! Lemon is a pure slot receiver, doesn’t mean he couldn’t play X or Z, not likely. His success will depend on how Mannion uses him.”
He’s right about the roles being different, too. Brown dominated in contested catch situations, using his size and strength to win on the outside. Lemon, who won the Biletnikoff at USC last season, is more of a shifty slot guy who thrives underneath and across the middle. That’s not a knock on Lemon — it’s just a different skill set.
Joyner also pointed out that Lemon’s success will come down to offensive coordinator Kevin Mannion’s willingness to scheme him open. “Everyone suspects that Lemon will unlock the middle of the field vs. zone, and option and crossing route vs. man cov! Something the Eagles have shied away from!”
The Eagles haven’t really used that middle-of-the-field stuff much in recent years, so it’s not unreasonable to think Lemon could change how the offense looks. But expecting him to just step in and be Brown? Not happening. Brown was arguably the best in the league at winning 50-50 balls. Lemon isn’t that guy.
Does that mean Lemon can’t be a star? No. Look at guys like CeeDee Lamb and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Both are elite receivers who do most of their damage from the slot or in space. They don’t need to be X receivers to dominate. Lemon can follow that same path if the Eagles let him.
But the idea that he’s replacing AJ Brown directly? Joyner shut that down quick. And for good reason. Different players, different roles, different expectations.
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