Inside the NFL draft on Thursday night in Pittsburgh, former USC wide receiver Makai Lemon had one heck of a roller-coaster ride of emotions. 

Initially expected to be taken at No. 13 by the Rams, Lemon was still available when the Cowboys were on the clock with pick No. 20.

That’s when the Steelers called and told Lemon he was going to be selected by them with the No. 21 pick. However, while Lemon was still on the phone with the Steelers, their in-state rivals, the Eagles, jumped the line, trading up to grab him at No. 20. 

The chaos was all captured on video, but that wasn’t even Lemon’s biggest or most emotional surprise of the night. 

The moment that Makai Lemon found out the Eagles were trading up to get him at No. 20 while he was the on the phone with the Steelers, who were planning to take him at No. 21. pic.twitter.com/Iqv7wfzbtu

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 24, 2026

Wearing his brand-new Eagles hat, Lemon was taken inside a room to watch a surprise video made just for him. That’s when his sister’s voice came through the screen.

“Hey brother, I can already feel the tears coming …”

By the time Aliyah Lemon finished — talking about diapers, late nights and the privilege of watching him chase this life — Lemon wasn’t a wide receiver with a projected first-round grade anymore. He was a kid again, breaking in real time.

“Me and my sister are so close. In elementary [school] she used to walk from her school to come pick me up. Sometimes I used to think nobody was going to come and get me, but she is always there,” Lemon said, voice cracking. “I just love her so much.”

The NFL leaned into the moment with a second video — his parents, Mike and Brandy, steady as ever. Lemon admitted what most athletes bury deep down inside. 

“I feel like sometimes I give up on myself … but they never gave up on me.”

Lemon was the first player from the USC Trojans taken off the board Thursday, but many more were selected in the later rounds. Lemon’s friend and former teammate, wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane, was taken by the Ravens with the 80th overall pick.

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