RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The Philadelphia Eagles invested heavily in their offensive future this past April. The first five of their eight total picks in the 2026 NFL Draft were invested in Sean Mannion's side of the ball . Their first- and second-round selections were wide receiver Makai Lemon and tight end Eli Stowers, respectively. Both have seen their share of headlines, but not for the reasons that many expected. Lemon missed valuable time with a hamstring injury, but he returned recently, albeit in a limited capacity. That changed on Monday. Stowers sat out the session, and he has yet to make much of an impact statistically as he continues adapting to the professional game.
Still, if there is any concern, it certainly isn't coming from inside the Jefferson Health Complex. Sean Mannion met with reporters before another week of practice on Monday . When asked about Stowers' development, he offered an encouraging evaluation of the rookie tight end.
"He’s getting better each day. He's a younger player we are really excited about... There [are] a lot of different elements of the game that get thrown at you, especially for a rookie tight end. Some of the differences schematically that NFL offenses will ask of you as opposed to a college offense, he's taken to it really well. Some of the things may go unseen. They might not show up on the stat sheet, but he's working super hard. He's an exciting young talent... He's doing a nice job, and he'll keep getting better."
The comments make sense when considering Stowers' background. While no one expected that he would immediately challenge Dallas Goedert for a starting role, the Eagles are betting on his long-term upside. Stowers began his college career as a quarterback and didn't transition to tight end full-time until transferring to the Vanderbilt Commodores for his final two seasons of eligibility.
During those two years with the Commodores (2024, 2025), he appeared in 25 games. He hauled in 111 receptions for 1,407 yards and nine touchdowns. His development has always been expected to require patience. Lemon's situation is different.
Makai Lemon's mental reps have impressed Eagles coaches
Philadelphia drafted the former USC Trojans star with the expectation that he could contribute much sooner. At 5-foot-11 and 192 pounds, he profiles as a natural slot receiver and could eventually carve out a meaningful role in the offense.
His biggest obstacle this summer hasn't been learning the playbook. It's been staying healthy. Still, Mannion praised the way Lemon has remained engaged throughout his recovery.
"He's been really, really engaged mentally. I think that's the challenge: any player that you're injured, you lose those physical reps, but he's done a really nice job... He's been locked in in all the walkthrough settings. Even when he can't get the rep, he's kind of shadowing his position on the field and staying super engaged. And he's been working his way back. I know he's looked good, and hopefully we'll see him out here in a minute."
That return appears to be underway. Lemon worked with the first-team offense during his first full day back on the field. He also spent additional time after practice getting extra work with Mannion, another encouraging sign as he works to make up for lost time. He also spoke with reporters about the time he missed and about building chemistry with Jalen Hurts.
Sean Mannion and Makai Lemon getting in some extra work after practice pic.twitter.com/s5Apm3k2Vi
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) August 24, 2026 Makai Lemon confirmed he was dealing with the same hamstring that he hurt during spring workouts. He said he’s learned from the injury and plans to be “more professional” going forward to avoid tweaking it in the future. #Eagles pic.twitter.com/0pEBUU5KbL
— EJ Smith (@EJSmith94) August 24, 2026 Makai Lemon on building chemistry with Jalen Hurts. pic.twitter.com/msQqDsnETF
— Cayden Steele (@cayden_steele19) August 24, 2026 Stowers now appears to be nursing a hamstring injury of his own. The Eagles have not indicated anything serious, but his status will be worth monitoring throughout the week. He has routinely stayed after practice to work on his blocking technique, one of the areas Philadelphia hopes to accelerate as he continues his transition to the NFL.
For now, though, Mannion's message regarding both rookies was clear. The stat sheet may not tell much of the story yet, but the Eagles remain encouraged by what they're seeing behind the scenes. For a team that has often relied on a healthy mix of young talent and veteran presence, that's about as good an update as one can hear as the final days trickle off the August calendar.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Sean Mannion praises progress of Eagles’ top two 2026 NFL draft picks
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