Makai Lemon talks DeVonta Smith, getting Nick Foles’ blessing to wear No. 9
Makai Lemon, the Eagles' first-round pick, expressed excitement about joining the team and learning from teammates like DeVonta Smith and Jalen Hurts. He discussed receiving Nick Foles' blessing to wear No. 9, a number with significant legacy in Philadelphia. Lemon emphasized his appreciation for the moment and his readiness to contribute to the team.
- ▪Makai Lemon is the Eagles' first-round draft pick and spoke to reporters ahead of his first practice with the team.
- ▪He met DeVonta Smith at a Sixers game and felt an immediate connection due to their similar personalities and competitive drive.
- ▪Lemon received permission from Nick Foles to wear No. 9, a number Foles made iconic by leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory.
- ▪He expressed deep respect for Foles and acknowledged the honor of wearing a number that had not been issued since Foles' departure.
- ▪Lemon believes his skillset will complement the Eagles' offense and that playing alongside Smith will help him improve.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/makai-lemon-talks-devonta-smith-171805612.html","headline":"Makai Lemon talks DeVonta Smith, getting Nick Foles’ blessing to wear No. 9","datePublished":"2026-05-01T17:18:05.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-01T17:18:05.000Z","keywords":["Makai Lemon","DeVonta Smith","The Eagles","Nick Foles","Jalen Hurts","Carson Wentz"],"description":"The Eagles rookie is ready to get to work, and he’s excited to play with and learn from DeVonta Smith and Jalen Hurts.","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Yahoo…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Yahoo Sports.