The Steelers missed their top choice at the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting at No. 21 after being in talks with wide receiver Makai Lemon. The Eagles outperformed them in the draft process.
Key points
Steelers had the No. 21 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft
They were in talks with wide receiver Makai Lemon
The Cowboys picked at No. 20, delaying the Steelers' choice
Eagles outperformed the Steelers during the draft process
One need not rely on the reporting of Ian Rapoport to believe the Steelers did not get their first choice in executing the No. 21 overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Rapoport was there first, on the NFL Network not long after that pick was made, and he delivered the news the team had been on the telephone with wideout Makai Lemon while waiting for the Cowboys to exercise pick No. 20.
During that conversation, Lemon received another call in the green room. The Eagles were on the other line.
They had consummated a trade with the Cowboys to move up and grab him. Eventually, Lemon told everyone this himself.
It had been plenty baffling when the Steelers suddenly selected offensive tackle Max Iheanachor of Arizona State, a player not among the 30 who visited the team in advance of the draft and not one who fit an obvious team need. As the news developed of how obviously the Steelers wanted Lemon, there grew a sense among the team's fan base that the people in charge of their favorite team — general manager Omar Khan, assistant GM Andy Weidl and head coach Mike McCarthy — no longer could be trusted even to get a lunch order correct.
Q&A
Why did the Steelers not get their first choice at the 2026 NFL Draft?
The Steelers were unable to select their first choice because they were waiting for the Cowboys to make their pick at No. 20.
Who is Makai Lemon and what was his role in the 2026 NFL Draft?
Makai Lemon is a wide receiver who was in discussions with the Steelers before they made their selection at No. 21.
How did the Eagles outperform the Steelers in the 2026 NFL Draft?
The article suggests that the Eagles executed their draft strategy more effectively, leading to the Steelers missing out on their preferred choice.
What was the significance of the Steelers' No. 21 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft?
The No. 21 pick was significant as it represented a missed opportunity for the Steelers to secure a player they had targeted, which could impact their team strategy.
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Their biggest problem was not recognizing the fact the Cowboys are so bewildered they could not distinguish between lunch and shoe shopping. That's not an excuse for the Steelers. It's every competitor's duty to identify the weakness in each opponent. They quite obviously overestimated Jerry Jones.
Existing in the AFC North with the Ravens, Bengals and Browns led the Steelers to believe no division opponent would ever make a trade that would provide an advantage to a division rival. The Steelers had every reason to believe Dallas would have no interest in choosing Lemon; the Cowboys already have CeeDee Lamb under a long-term contract, George Pickens on the franchise tag and Ryan Flournoy and KaVontae Turpin for depth.
And they had no reason to believe Dallas would be willing to trade picks with the Eagles, of all teams. They have been in the same division for more than five decades. The Steelers certainly know they never could expect to make a deal such as this with the Ravens. So they never saw this coming.
They probably should have.
Because comparing the Ravens to the Cowboys is measuring one of the most reliably shrewd organizations in sports against the enduring Jerry Jones circus. Why wouldn't one expect Jones to ignore the importance of outperforming division rivals, an opponent comprising 12 percent of the annual schedule and direct competition for a playoff berth?
This is the guy who gave Dak Prescott a contract that will count $76 million against the salary cap in 2027 and $86 million in 2028 even though Prescott's been in the league since 2016 and won two playoff games. This is the guy who then traded elite edge rusher Micah Parsons because, well, he didn't want to pay him a lot.
The Steelers own three third-round picks in this draft and easily could have bested Philly's offer, had they wished. What did they miss by misreading this situation?
Lemon caught 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns for USC in his final season with the Trojans. Here's all I need to know about how talented he is:
When Lemon was named the winner of the Biletnikoff Award for the best wide receiver in college football, I was vexed that anyone could be presented that award over Ohio State's astonishing Jeremiah Smith. I'd seen nearly every Buckeyes game in 2025 and regularly was left breathless by Smith's performances. So I asked The Sporting News' esteemed college football writer, Bill Bender, and he said that selection was legit. Good enough.
Most draft projections had Lemon off the board well before the Steelers chose at No. 21, so it was no secret they'd need to trade up to have a chance to select him. They probably never believed they'd only need to move up one spot.
The Steelers' consolation pick of Iheanachor is vexing because he primarily has functioned as a right tackle for the Sun Devils. They already have a solid regular starter at that position who was acquired with a first-round pick. It's their left tackle who underperformed the past two seasons and recently has dealt with a serious neck injury.
So, if the Steelers wanted Iheanachor in their 2026 lineup, this would be the team's recent history with first-round tackles:
— Broderick Jones, 2023: Left tackle at Georgia, moved to right tackle in 2023 and 2024, switched to left tackle in 2025.
— Troy Fautanu, 2024: Left tackle at Washington, shifted to right tackle in 2024 and 2025, switched to left tackle in 2026.
— Iheanachor, 2026: Right tackle at Arizona State, at least playing the position with which he is most familiar but having to prove he's worthy of time ahead of others with starting experience.
That's not a coherent plan.
Could this have been avoided with a phone call to the Cowboys? It's hard to imagine even Jones not preferring a solid offer from the Steelers over the Eagles deal. There's every reason to believe such a call never was initiated.
From the franchise that recently hired McCarthy and broke a half-century tradition of hiring young defensive assistant coaches and allowing them to grow into Super Bowl winners Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin, it's unfortunately not all that hard to believe.
