Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Pittsburgh Steelers faced an embarrassing NFL Draft blunder when they called USC's Makai Lemon before they were actually on the clock.
- The Eagles traded with the Cowboys to jump ahead, stealing Lemon at 20th overall while Steelers GM Omar Khan was still on the phone with the wide receiver.
- Was Cowboys owner Jerry Jones a diabolical mastermind behind the scenes working to embarrass the Steelers? What is this, a soap opera?
The Pittsburgh Steelers counted their lemons before they finished growing — or so the saying goes (I think). On Thursday during the first round of the NFL Draft, general manager Omar Khan called USC wide receiver Makai Lemon to tell him he was going to be taken with the 21st overall selection. The only problem was, Pittsburgh wasn't on the clock yet and the Dallas Cowboys hadn't submitted their pick either.
Rather, Jerry Jones decided to trade back with his franchise's division rival, the Philadelphia Eagles (fleecing them in the process), who were eager to jump the Steelers for the Trojan's talents. Howie Roseman then interrupted Lemon's call with Khan to tell him he was actually going to go 20th overall instead.
Here is the moment Makai Lemon thought he was getting drafted by #Steelers and realizing in real time that the #Eagles traded up, via @gmfb this morning.
— Ross McCorkle (@Ross_McCorkle) April 24, 2026
He asked Omar Khan "Why is Philly calling [me]?" pic.twitter.com/AbXDJONYye
Cowboys-Eagles conspiracy to steal Makai Lemon from Steelers is beyond reality
According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Nick Harris, the entire heist was potentially orchestrated by Jones at the last moment to get back at former Cowboys head coach and new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy. The 62-year-old supposedly hired away several assistants and scouts away from Jerry World when he reemerged from his one-year hiatus.
The Steelers are not so pleased with the Cowboys for trading back
— Haymaker (@HaymakerNetwork) April 24, 2026
Check out @NickHarrisFWST with story on House of Haymaker pic.twitter.com/GBnH6nFbur
Harris alleges via multiple sources that Pittsburgh's intention to select Lemon was somehow leaked to the Dallas war room which then prompted Jones to call Roseman and strike a deal. That story would make a great plot twist for a Draft Day sequel but let's be real, the math isn't math-ing here.
Why would Philadelphia essentially pay three picks to a division rival to move up three spots just to spite the cross-state Steelers? It's more likely Roseman called Jones first and, being the businessman that he is, the latter managed to squeeze out a favorable haul for a team seemingly desperate to move up in the moment.
The Steelers are right to be mad, however, about getting outsmarted the way they did. New York Giants fans know the feeling all too well when the same two teams got together in 2021 to swap first round positions and Philadelphia nabbed Devonta Smith one pick before the G-Men.
Pittsburgh should be more embarrassed it got caught on camera calling a prospect before the team was even on the clock. That was an amateurish move that will go down in history with past draft blunders like the Minnesota Vikings' 2003 expired clock debacle. In the wise words of Cris Carter, "C'mon man!"
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