After Makai Lemon became the only player from USC taken in the 2026 NFL Draft, Friday and Saturday are expected to create a busy weekend for the Trojans entering the NFL.
For fans looking to find out where their favorite Trojans end up, The Sporting Tribune has created an NFL Draft Tracker to help fans follow along throughout the weekend.
With the latter part of the draft set to take place this weekend, this is where general managers really build the rest of the future of the team, finding under-the-radar players, key depth pieces, and building the roster to fruition for the regular season.
On Friday, the NFL Draft will begin with rounds 2 and 3 taking place (picks 33 - 100).
Saturday will be the end of the draft with rounds 4-7 (picks 101-257).
Round 1:
Makai Lemon taken by the Philadelphia Eagles with the 20th pick
Lemon was the third receiver taken overall in the draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. Known for his gritty style of play, notoriously for picking up yards after the catch, and not being afraid to play big-time football, Lemon will likely line up in the slot and will be someone the Eagles will use to pick apart zone coverage. Lemon leaves USC with over 2,000 yards receiving in his career and had 1,156 and 11 touchdowns last season, awarding him the Biletnikoff award. He became the second USC receiver to do so since Marqise Lee did so in 2012. Standing at 5-foot-11 and weighing 192 pounds, Lemon compares similarly to Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions and Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks.
Round 2:
Ja'Kobi Lane taken by the Baltimore Ravens with the 80th pick
Lane was considered one of the more underrated receivers in the NFL Draft this year. A 6-foot-4 frame, weighing 200 pounds, and having 10.5-inch hands, Lane has all the measureables for a prototypical X receiver in the NFL. Lane was used as a redzone threat and was also someone that quarterback Jaydn Maiava could rely on when he needed to throw the ball up high, only where Lane could get it. Last season, he had 745 yards with 49 receptions and 4 touchdowns. Lane could potentially be the red-zone threat that Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson desperately needs. With his frame, Lane could project out to be a similar big body receiver like George Pickens or Drake London as he ran a 4.5 40-yard dash during the scouting combine.
Round 5:
Kamari Ramsey taken by the Houston Texans with the 141st pick
Kamari Ramsey could be a steal in the draft after falling down to the fifth round. Last season, USC's secondary became depleted from injuries, forcing Ramsey to move from his natural position at safety and play as a nickel cornerback. His season was cut short due to a knee injury against Iowa in November. Ramsey had 60 tackles in his junior year but fell to 27 due to the position change. Coming into last season, he was placed on the 2025 Chuck Bednarik Award watch list. Ramsey had one of the more impressive NFL Scouting Combine performances last season, running his 40-yard dash at 4.47 seconds, with a vertical jump of 36 inches and a broad jump of 10 feet. He has good skills and abilities to play deep in the box as a safety, and the speed to line up in the nickel and cover tight ends, standing at 6 feet tall and weighing 205 pounds. Outside of his athletic ability, scouts have raved about Ramsey's high football IQ throughout the draft process, and his ceiling could reach as far as Kevin Byard of the Chicago Bears.
Final Note:
USC finished the draft with only three players selected, the same number of players that they had selected in 2025.
Undrafted
Bishop Fitzgerald, Safety - Tennessee Titans
Lake McRee, Tight End - Pittsburgh Steelers
Keeshawn Silver, Defensive End - New Orleans Saints
DeCarlos Nicholson, Cornerback - Cleveland Browns
Eric Gentry, Linebacker - Cincinnati Bengals
Anthony Lucas, Safety - Detroit Lions