Steelers Were On Phone To Take Makai Lemon Before Eagles Traded Up To Select Him

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the Steelers called USC WR Makai Lemon during the first round last night to tell him they were gonna select him with the No. 21 overall pick.

However, the Eagles surprisingly traded up ahead of Pittsburgh to No. 20 with the Cowboys to select Lemon, but because he was on the phone with the Steelers already, they couldn’t call him to inform him that they were taking him.

The Steelers pivoted to Arizona State OT Max Iheanachor at No. 21 overall to bolster their offensive line.

Lemon, 21, was a former five-star recruit who initially committed to Oklahoma but eventually flipped to USC. He won the Fred Biletnikoff Award in 2025 as the nation’s best receiver. Lemon was also a third-team All-Big Ten selection in 2024 and a first-team selection in 2025.

He declared early for the 2026 NFL Draft. 

NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein compares him to Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown. 

During his three-year career at USC, Lemon appeared in 33 games, making 17 starts. He tallied 137 receptions for 2,008 yards and 14 touchdowns.