NFL Expected To Investigate Steelers Over Makai Lemon Phone Call Before Eagles Trade on Draft Day

So, the Steelers could face NFL discipline. And when NBC Sports got in touch with the NFL to understand the rule related to a team getting in touch with a prospect when another team is on the clock, the league responded:

“The league reviews all aspects of the Draft the week after its conclusion.”

Why did the Eagles do what they did? Well, after the first round wrapped on April 23, general manager Howie Roseman laid out how things unfolded from his side. As the Philadelphia Eagles neared their pick, he said Lemon was the lone name still available from their top 15 board. From there, Roseman shifted into action, working through options and identifying a spot where he could move up to secure him.

With the clock ticking, Roseman wasted no time reaching out to the Dallas Cowboys at No. 20 to work out a move. At the same time, the Pittsburgh Steelers had already gotten ahead of things, placing a call to Lemon before the Cowboys were even on the clock, operating under the assumption Dallas wasn’t targeting a wide receiver.

With Dallas officially on the clock, there were under eight minutes to hammer out a trade before their pick came in. But timing became the issue. When the Eagles tried to reach Lemon, he was already tied up on a call with the Steelers.

“When we get on the clock, we immediately try to contact the player,” Roseman mentioned later. “It took us a couple of minutes to contact the player and get him on the phone. That hasn’t happened very often. The clock got down a little bit lower than we would’ve liked. But we were able to get in touch with him and obviously select him.”

Now, this could also be a signal that A.J. Brown will be traded. But what about Lemon? Is he happy to go to the Eagles?

What did Makai Lemon say after the two phone calls?

For the rest of the day, as Lemon made his media appearances, he was seen wearing the Eagles cap. Apart from what he was bringing to the team and what he felt about being drafted to Philadelphia, reporters also wanted to know what he felt about being wanted by two teams at the same time. Even though the Steelers call was a shocker, the news from the Eagles really bowled him over.

“I was definitely shocked,” Lemon said about the trade. “I couldn’t be even more happy that they did. I’m super blessed. It was the right time and the right team. Everything worked out just how it was supposed to be.”

Lemon was projected by many to be a first-round pick. The reigning Biletnikoff Award winner, given to the best WR of the college football season, the now-Eagles WR brings a lot of power to join a WR room headlined by DeVonta Smith. The Eagles landed the veteran following a similar trade with Dallas, and hit the jackpot. Now, with Lemon in the fold too, this offense is going to see a lot of big plays.

Lemon is as reliable as they come. His hands rarely fail him, and that is reflected in an excellent 2.8% drop rate during his college career. Even without an ideal size, he consistently comes down with contested throws, and his production holds up against any coverage, putting up more than 3 yards per route run versus both man and zone. That kind of efficiency speaks to polished route-running. He may not have top-end speed, but he still creates after the catch, sometimes in big gains, other times by grinding out extra yards where most receivers would go down.

What probably stood out most to the Philadelphia coaches is his edge. He is widely viewed as a relentless competitor. Size might not be on his side, but it doesn’t show in his play; he is more than willing to mix it up as a blocker. That trait clearly matters to this staff.

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