Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is one of the best in football at building a roster, and his latest 2026 NFL Draft heist is surely upsetting Pittsburgh Steelers fans.
The Eagles and Steelers fans are in a heated rivalry during the draft for reasons outside of football. It started Thursday when Pittsburgh created a NSFW chant caught on ESPN’s draft coverage targeting NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers.
MORE: Watch 2026 NFL Draft live on Fubo (free trial)
However, Roseman’s adept draft prowess proved to be on display once again when the Eagles moved above the Steelers to make their first-round selection. USC Trojans star Makai Lemon is now heading to Philadelphia, which looks to be hurting many Pittsburgh fans at heart.
OMG this Rap Sheet report is incredible. Steelers were on the phone with Makai Lemon telling him they were about to pick him. When the Eagles traded up and stole him. Max is NOT who Steelers wanted. This blows. pic.twitter.com/DsQIkoxsvD
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) April 24, 2026
NFL insider Ian Rapoport revealed Thursday that Lemon was actually on a call phone call with the Steelers before the Eagles swooped in. Philly made the move to trade a spot above Pittsburgh in order to acquire the standout wide receiver.
Meanwhile, their newest NFL Draft selection signals a major shift for the franchise as the A.J. Brown saga looks to be nearing an end. The Eagles already boast several talented young receivers in Devonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks.
However, the addition of Lemon certainly allows the Eagles to potentially move on from Brown later this offseason if the New England Patriots or another team express interest.
MORE: Pittsburgh flexes on major cities with massive 2026 NFL Draft crowd
Roseman’s knack for finding gems in the draft is becoming a yearly occurrence though. In 2024, the Birds managed to secure two stud defensive selections with Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell.
Meanwhile, Roseman and the Eagles have succeeded with other top picks in recent years like Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Jalen Hurts and Smith.
Philadelphia’s ability to recruit well in the draft has yielded immense success when it comes down to regular season and playoff results. The Eagles have played in three Super Bowls over the past 10 years, winning two of them.
It’s very possible that Nick Sirianni and the Eagles are gearing up for another run if Lemon turns out to be the star that many scouts believe him to be.