The imagery is locked into the minds of NFL executives, media, and fans alike.
Leading up to the NFL Draft, or even on draft night, the idea of a top scout, or coach, ‘pounding the table’ for a prospect they watched in the fall or scouted at the Combine and at his pro day in the spring is a time-honored tradition leading up to the NFL Draft.
One former general manager recently opened up about which players he would be pounding the table for throughout the entire draft.
NFL Draft 2026: Is USC WR Makai Lemon the best player at his position?
NFL Draft
Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) hurdles UCLA Bruins punter Will Karoll (49) as linebacker Scott Taylor (20) watches in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Former NFL GM and current NFL analyst at ESPN, Mike Tannenbaum recently put together his list of the players at each stage of the draft that he would be pounding the table for, if he were putting together a team’s NFL Draft big board this spring.
At the top of Tannenbaum’s list is USC wide receiver Makai Lemon.
“I love his style of play,” Tannenbaum writes of Lemon, for ESPN. “He’s relentless and physical. Sure, Lemon might start off in the slot, where he played most of the time for USC. But I think he’s big enough at 5-foot-11 and 192 pounds to play outside in the pros.
“Lemon thrived in contested-catch situations in college, with 11 of them in 12 games last season. He finished with 11 touchdowns and was third in the nation in receiving yards per game at 96.3. With Ohio State’s Carnell Tate and/or Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson leading most WR rankings, Lemon should be there outside the top 10.”
NFL Draft
Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) is stopped by Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Adon Shuler (8) during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
This is an exceptionally deep class of wide receivers, especially compared to positions such as quarterback and linebacker, so which player goes off the board first may just be based on the eye of the beholder of the GM calling in the selection.
However, Lemon’s 14.6 yards per reception average paired with his 1,156 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns build a compelling case for him to set atop the board of a loaded receiver class in the weeks leading up to the NFL Draft.