The Steelers’ Makai Lemon whiff is sadly emblematic of the state of the franchise
The Steelers had an easy path to a game-changing player, and they decided not to take it.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 24: Omar Khan of the Pittsburgh Steelers speaks during a press conference at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine on February 24, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) | Getty Images Everything fell perfectly into place for the Steelers on Night One of the 2026 NFL Draft. Only two receivers were selected in the top 15 picks, and a slew of offensive linemen followed with a very random Ty Simpson to the Rams pick sprinkled in for good luck.
With a league-leading 12 selections ahead of the first round, the Steelers had every tool in the belt to pull off exactly what they wanted to do – draft Makai Lemon. Yet instead of doing so, they remained stagnant, much like they’ve done as a franchise for the better part of a decade. The Steelers sat on their hands and stayed put with the No.
21 overall pick instead of moving up to ensure his selection in front of the record-breaking 320,000 fans in front of Acrisure Stadium. As the Dallas Cowboys were set to be on the clock at No. 20, the Steelers gave Lemon a call .
Only they weren’t the only Pennsylvania area code to ring the USC star. As the Steelers were getting ready to tell Lemon he would be calling Pittsburgh home, Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles made a trade with the Cowboys to jump in front of the Steelers to steal the star pass-catcher from their grasp. Clearly caught off guard, the Steelers had to pivot and selected Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheachanor, much to the chagrin of the large number of Steelers fans on hand who audibly groaned at Pittsburgh selecting its third first-round tackle in four years.
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