The saddest reality hit the Pittsburgh Steelers late on Day 1 as the night unfolded exactly how the Philadelphia Eagles would have scripted it. Just one pick before Pittsburgh, the Eagles struck a deal with the Cowboys, jumped to No. 20, and snatched Makai Lemon right off the board.
The former USC weapon had been heavily linked to the Steelers, and for a moment, it felt like a lock. Then it wasn’t. The conversation flipped from excitement to frustration, with the heat now squarely on general manager Omar Khan.
General Manager Omar Khan Faces Backlash After the Steelers Miss Out on Makai Lemon
The frustration was not just about losing Lemon. It was about how it happened. Pittsburgh pivoted to selecting Max Iheanachor, a tackle from Arizona State.
Pre-draft buzz pointed toward a playmaker, especially with urgency building around the offense, and how last season with Aaron Rodgers played out.
Instead, the Steelers walked away from Round 1 without the dynamic weapon many expected. And the reaction was inevitable.
Andrew Fillipponi captured the sentiment with a brutal comparison: “What a quote from a Steelers insider: ‘You know when the clock runs out on you in a fantasy football draft. And it auto-picks a guy you don’t want. That’s what happened to the Steelers tonight.'”
He doubled down shortly after: “Steelers have to be LIVID this Rap Sheet report got out. It makes them look like they didnt know what was going on. And makes it clear their 1st round pick was a rushed Plan B.”
Neal Coolong didn’t need more than two words: “Inexcusable. Embarrassing.”
The details of the moment only made it worse. As reported, Lemon himself said he was already on the phone with the Steelers when another call came through.
Zach Berman noted: “Lemon said he was on the phone with the Steelers when his phone came ringing, and he realized it was the Eagles. He said that signaled how badly the Eagles wanted him.”
That contrast is right there in that report: one team waiting, the other attacking.
Daniel Valente went even further: “Steelers had their guy and let their in-state rival snatch him from their grasp in front of their home fans tonight. Sums up the state of the franchise. Too busy standing still while the best teams in the league leave them in the dust.”
Even longtime insider Gerry Dulac pointed to the missed moment: “The Steelers had a great opportunity to wow the draft crowd at the North Shore and failed w their first round pick.”
So, if we sum it all up, the frustration, the shock value is more because of what the Steelers missed out on.
Lemon carried a PFSN grade of 89.17, ranked No. 8 overall and WR2 in the class. His production backed it up with 79 catches for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025, along with a No. 4 nationally ranked PFSN’s CFB WR Impact grade of 85.1.
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On tape, he fits the modern mold perfectly. A precise route runner with elite separation skills, strong hands, and rare body control in contested situations. At 5’11” and 192 pounds, he brings positional versatility and immediate impact potential.
For Pittsburgh, the draft is far from over. There are still rounds left, still chances to recover value and reshape the class. But Day 1 left a mark. Not because of who they picked, that’s a discussion for later, but because of who slipped away from their grasp.
