The Pittsburgh Steelers had to make a quick pivot during the 2026 NFL Draft. The Steelers had plans to draft USC wide receiver Makai Lemon with the 21st overall pick. They felt so confident they would make the pick, they called him before it was their turn to make a selection.
It ended up being a wasted call.
The Dallas Cowboys were set to draft with the No. 20 overall pick, until they made a rare interdivision trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, who then selected Lemon to the surprise of those in Pittsburgh.
What looked like a brutal bit of timing quickly turned into something else.
Instead of walking away with one of the top wide receivers on their board, Pittsburgh was forced to regroup on the fly. General manager Omar Khan ultimately used the No. 21 pick on Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor, shifting directions in a matter of minutes.
At the time, it felt like a standard draft-day snipe.
But in the days that followed, the situation started drawing a different kind of attention.
NFL Executives Question Steelers’ Draft Approach After Makai Lemon Situation
Around the league, the focus hasn’t just been on the Eagles getting their guy—it’s been on how Pittsburgh handled the moment leading up to it.
According to Mike Sando of The Athletic, multiple NFL executives took issue with the Steelers contacting Lemon before they were officially on the clock.
“You don’t make the call until you’re on the clock,” one exec said. “It’s crazy.”
That sentiment goes beyond just timing.
The belief from some around the league is that Pittsburgh may have unintentionally revealed its intentions, creating an opportunity for another team to step in.
“They think they are tying up the phone lines so the other team moves on because they can’t get in touch with the player,” another exec said. “All it takes is you to call the player, and if another team calls the agent and they’re like, ‘Oh, he’s on the phone with so-and-so,’ now they know who you’re picking.”
That’s where the conversation has shifted.
Instead of this being chalked up to bad luck, there’s now a growing perception that the Steelers may have helped set the stage for the outcome.
Steelers Turn To ‘Trust The Board’ After Draft Pivot
To their credit, Pittsburgh didn’t panic after losing out on Lemon.
They pivoted quickly, landing Iheanachor—a player with long-term upside at a premium position—and later addressed wide receiver by selecting Alabama’s Germie Bernard in the second round.
Still, the sequence involving Lemon has taken on a life of its own.
Khan addressed the situation after the draft, downplaying the idea that anything out of the ordinary took place.
“Yeah, you know, when the draft happens, there’s a lot of excitement that goes on,” Khan said. “There was no ill intent… you trust your board, and the draft throws curveballs at you.”
Head coach Mike McCarthy echoed that message, emphasizing preparation over any single outcome.
“You have to trust your board,” McCarthy said. “When you get down to those picks, you’re usually talking about two, three, four players.”
Internally, that may be how the Steelers are framing it.
Externally, though, the situation is being viewed a little differently.
Because while Pittsburgh can move forward with the players it added, the way this unfolded has left some around the league wondering if the Steelers gave away just enough to cost themselves the pick.
Steelers Get Called Out By NFL Execs For Makai Lemon Draft Tactic That May Not Be New