Get NFL prospect scouting reports, live grades and team breakdowns in SI’s draft tracker.
Makai Lemon was considered one of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2026 NFL draft—and that proved to be true in Thursday’s first round. Lemon ended up being selected No. 20 by the Eagles after Philadelphia traded with the rival Cowboys for the pick. In return, Dallas received picks No. 23, No. 114 and No. 137.
But Lemon almost landed somewhere else.
When the Cowboys held the 20th pick, the assumption was that Dallas would select a defensive player, not an offensive star like Lemon. So, with the 21st pick, the Steelers felt confident enough to secure Lemon. Pittsburgh called Lemon to let him know his fate, but in the meantime, the Eagles were conducting the trade with the Cowboys. Philadelphia was trying to get ahold of Lemon to update him of their selection when he was already on the phone with Pittsburgh.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport detailed what went down with Lemon’s phone calls on Thursday night.
“The Dallas Cowboys were on the clock at 20 with everyone knowing they were going defense. [The] Pittsburgh Steelers get on the phone with Makai Lemon planning to select him next at 21, 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.”
Lemon talked a little bit about the phone call situation during his post-draft press conference in Pittsburgh. The receiver sounds happy with what transpired.
“The Eagles called me at the same time [as the Steelers], just finding out that they traded up to get me, so I feel like it was meant to be,” Lemon said. “I was super excited that they traded up.”
The Steelers had to quickly change direction when the Eagles swooped in and drafted Lemon. Instead of finding another skill position player, which the team desperately needs, Pittsburgh shifted to select Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor with the 21st pick. They filled another one of their needs with their first-round pick.
“You trust your board, but the way it shook out, it brought us to [tackle], and it was the right pick for us,” Steelers general manager Omar Khan said on Thursday night, via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.
For the Eagles, drafting Lemon seems to be a telltale sign that the team plans to trade receiver A.J. Brown before the 2026 season begins, especially since Philly traded up to secure a talented young receiver. We’ll see what the Eagles do with Brown in the coming months.
Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame graded the Eagles’ pick an A, while the Steelers received a B+ for the Iheanachor selection. You can see what Verderame graded all 32 first-round picks from Thursday night.
More NFL Draft from Sports Illustrated
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollowPublished | Modified 
MADISON WILLIAMS
Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University.
Share on FacebookShare on XHome/NFLOriginal Article
