Steelers See Eagles Swoop In, Steal Wide Receiver Target During NFL Draft originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It's no secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers are looking for wide receiver help in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Steelers ended up selecting offensive tackle Max Iheanachor out of Arizona State with the 21st overall pick on Thursday night, but he wasn't their original target.
NFL Network national insider Ian Rapoport reported Thursday night that Pittsburgh was "on the phone" with USC wideout Makai Lemon while the Dallas Cowboys were on the clock with the 20th selection and "planning to select him."
"Except what they didn't know is the Eagles had actually traded up over them, were trying to get in touch with Lemon, but he wasn't answering because he was already on the phone with the Steelers," Rapoport said. "In the end, the Eagles do the trade, they get Makai Lemon and the Steelers grab a tackle right after."
"From the NFL Draft: A wild story, as the #Eagles trade up for Makai Lemon... while he was on the phone with the #Steelers," the insider posted on X.
From the NFL Draft: A wild story, as the #Eagles trade up for Makai Lemon... while he was on the phone with the #Steelers. pic.twitter.com/r1R6pQnFgi
Steelers insider Mike DeFabo of The Athletic detailed the events as well.
"As one of the top three receivers on almost every board and the No. 13 player in The Athletic draft analyst Dane Brugler’s rankings, Lemon has long been on the Steelers’ radar. He was one of just six players with a first-round grade to take a pre-draft visit to Pittsburgh, signaling interest from an organization that planned to select a receiver early in the draft. For a moment, it seemed Lemon would walk out onto the stage alongside Jerome Bettis to be greeted by hundreds of thousands of Terrible Towel twirlers. Then, another call came in to Lemon," DeFabo wrote. "'First I answered the phone, and it was the Steelers,' Lemon told Eagles reporters on a conference call. 'Then my phone kept ringing. I look and it’s the Eagles.'"
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