The Pittsburgh Steelers have completely shocked their fanbase and drafted offensive tackle Max Iheanachor with their first-round pick. They did meet with him at the scouting combine, but after that, there was no other sign that the team was interested in him that early. It looked like the franchise was hoping that wide receiver Makai Lemon would fall directly into its laps, but those hopes were squashed by the Philadelphia Eagles, as they traded up to Pick 20 and stole him away. Many fans were devastated after that sequence of events.
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers General Manager Omar Khan and Owner Art Rooney II on the field at a team practices while having a discussion.
In the post-pick press conference, General Manager Omar Khan was asked about if the Eagles trading up and selecting Lemon affected their plans, and he made an attempt to sidestep it.
"I think all those things that happened around us affected conversations, but it’s the draft," Khan explained.
That was a nice way to say that the Eagles' trade did have a big effect on the Iheanachor pick. Yes, everything did have an impact, but the pick was still a shock. After that happened, expectations were that the Steelers would select another wide receiver or maybe grab safety Dillon Thieneman in the process. It's unclear if the offensive tackle was their next best guy or if they panicked and reached for him after Plan A fell through.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers General Manager Omar Khan picks up the phone and has a conversation in the team's war room during the 2023 NFL Draft weekend as he speaks with someone on the other line.
It gets worse for the Steelers. During the draft coverage, NFL insider Ian Rapoport revealed that Khan was actually on the phone with Lemon as the Eagles confirmed the trade to move up ahead of Pittsburgh and steal him away.
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
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 24, 2026
This leads to so many more questions than answers. With 12 picks in hand, it felt like the Steelers wanted to trade up in the first round so they could get their guy, but they did the exact opposite. They stood pat and hoped that an elite player would just fall into their laps, and it burned them. With how aggressive Khan is, it's reasonable to question why he didn’t trade up to get the player he truly wanted.
Based on Khan's comments and Rapoport's report, it's clear that the Steelers did not have the slightest clue that anyone would be willing to jump them. They seemingly got confident and cocky that the potentially elite receiver would be all theirs with no effort required to get him. The truly upsetting thing about it is that it would not have cost much for them to move up to Pick 18 or 19 at all.
Steelers Get More Confirmation That They Got Too Comfortable
On top of all that, Lemon himself confirmed Rapoport's report. The Steelers had him and then lost him
Makai Lemon: "First I answered the phone and it was the Steelers. Then my phone kept ringing and it was the Eagles."
— Jeff Neiburg (@Jeff_Neiburg) April 24, 2026
The Steelers could still trade up in the second round for a first-round-caliber receiver in Denzel Boston, but at this point, it would just feel empty. Nothing that they do in this draft will likely be able to undo this sinking feeling that Steeler Nation has. There was hope of having the steal of the draft only to potentially have the reach of the draft. They went from one extreme to the other. Iheanachor will have to be amazing for fans to ever feel good about the pick.
Kyusung Gong / Associated Press
University of Southern California wide receiver Makai Lemon running past the Rutgers defense in a 2024 college football game.
What do you think about it being confirmed that the Eagles stole Lemon from the Steelers? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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