Eagles general manager Howie Roseman beat the Steelers to the punch just as Pittsburgh thought it was going to get wide receiver Makai Lemon. 

Roseman stole Lemon right out from under the draft host’s noses by pulling off a trade with the Cowboys to move in front of Pittsburgh in the 2026 NFL Draft and take the player the Steelers were all set to select, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

With everyone in the NFL aware that the Cowboys were going to look to bolster their defense when they were on the clock with pick No. 20, the Steelers thought the road was cleared for them to take Lemon with the 21st overall pick. 

“The Pittsburgh Steelers get on the phone with Makai Lemon planning to select him next at 21. Except, what they didn’t know was the Eagles had actually traded up over them, were trying to get it touch with Lemon, but he wasn’t answering because he was on already on the phone with the Steelers,” Rapoport explained. “In the end, the Eagles do the trade, they get Makai Lemon and the Steelers grab a tackle right after.” 

The whole situation is sure to add another layer to the already deep rivalry between the Steel City and the City of Brotherly Love. 

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The Eagles’ social media team also had some fun with the situation, sharing a clip of Rapoport’s on-air report on the NFL Network and captioning the X post, “lol, go [Flyers],” also alluding to the ongoing Stanley Cup Playoff series between the Flyers and Penguins.

Lemon called being taken by the Eagles a “dream come true” after he was selected with the 21st overall pick. 

The Eagles are getting a receiver coming off a breakout junior season at USC, where he had 79 catches for 1,156 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 games. 

Philadelphia ended up trading their No. 23, No. 114 and No. 137 picks to the Cowboys in exchange for the No. 20 pick. 

The decision to aggressively go after a wide receiver would seem to indicate that Philadelphia is preparing for life after A.J. Brown. 

Rumors have swirled that Brown could be traded ahead of the next season, and ESPN reported earlier this week that Brown is expected to be sent to the Patriots after June 1.