Makai Lemon Reportedly Was on the Phone with Steelers When Eagles Traded Up for Him

The Eagles traded with the Cowboys and leaped over the Steelers to select WR Makai Lemon at 20.

Makai Lemon Reportedly Was on the Phone with Steelers When Eagles Traded Up for Him

Makai Lemon (Image via IMAGO/X)

In Short
  • Pittsburgh Steelers intended to draft Makai Lemon at 20th overall but lost him to the Philadelphia Eagles.
  • The Eagles traded up to acquire the 20th pick and selected Lemon while he was on the phone with the Steelers.
  • Lemon expressed surprise and excitement about being drafted by the Eagles, stating it was the right fit for him.

With Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson no longer on the board, the attention switched to Makai Lemon. The Pittsburgh Steelers looked all set to take the USC alum until an unexpected turn of events saw them lose their man.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported that the Steelers were so eager to take Lemon 20th overall that they called him ahead of time and told him they were going to draft him. However, the Steelers weren’t the only team to call Lemon from a Pennsylvania phone number.

Apparently, the Philadelphia Eagles frantically tried to reach out to Lemon on his phone after acquiring the 20th overall draft pick via a trade with the Dallas Cowboys. And the Eagles used that pick to draft Lemon.

The Dallas Cowboys were on the clock at 20 with everyone knowing they were going defense. [The] Pittsburgh Steelers get on the phone with [WR] Makai Lemon, planning to select him at 21… Except they did not know that the [Philadelphia] Eagles had actually traded up over them and were trying to get in touch with Lemon, but he wasn’t answering because he was already on the phone with the Steelers. In the end, the Eagles do the trade, they get Makai Lemon, and the Steelers grab tackle right after.

Ian Rapoport said

As Rapoport mentioned, the Steelers selected Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor at pick no. 21. The Steelers did not exactly get what they wanted, but still addressed an important positional need. With health concerns surrounding left tackle Broderick Jones, adding Iheanachor to the roster should help them in the long run.

Makai Lemon was shocked when the Philadelphia Eagles traded up to draft him

Glancing over the Big Board, the Eagles never really struck as a team that needed to draft a receiver in the first round. However, with AJ Brown’s future in question, the possibility of Howie Roseman making a trade to acquire a highly valued rookie was always in the cards.

Makai Lemon Reportedly Was on the Phone With Steelers When Eagles Traded Up for Him
Makai Lemon (Image via IMAGO)

Despite that, no one could have predicted how everything played out on day one. It even shocked Lemon himself to see the Eagles’ eagerness to select him before the Steelers.

I was definitely shocked, you know, definitely, but I couldn’t be even more happy that they [the Eagles] did [traded up to draft him]. I am super blessed… It was the right time, the right team, everything worked out just it was supposed to be.

Makai Lemon told NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Eagles got one of the best young receivers in the draft. In his three years with USC, Lemon accumulated 137 receptions for 2008 yards and 14 touchdowns. 73 of those catches came during the recently concluded 2025 season, and the Eagles would be hoping that he can continue his hot streak in the NFL.

[The Eagles] really wanted me, so I am all in, and they’re gonna get everything I got.

Lemon said

After the Eagles locked in Lemon’s name, the 21-year-old walked onto the stage and announced that they are getting the “dawg.”

Lemon is the third receiver taken in the day one’s draft. The Tennessee Titans picked Ohio State’s Carnell Tate 4th overall, and the New Orleans Saints selected Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson 8th overall.

Also Read: