It remains a difficult topic, but the Pittsburgh Steelers were embarrassed on night one of the NFL Draft. The team was on the phone with top wide receiver prospect Makai Lemon when the Philadelphia Eagles traded up to select him just one pick earlier. Situations like that happen often during the draft, but this one placed the Steelers in an unfavorable spotlight.
Hosting the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh only amplified the moment and made the outcome even more noticeable.
Lemon gets to join the Eagles as they look to make another Super Bowl run. It remains unclear whether their star wide receiver, A.J. Brown, will still be on the roster when the regular season begins. The two sides have had tension since the end of last season, and there is growing belief that the standout playmaker could be on the move in the coming months.
Pittsburgh has now seen its schedule released, along with the other 31 teams across the NFL. For the most part, it is a season filled with opportunity. The Steelers should be in position to take advantage of some of the softer stretches on their schedule as they push for a return to the playoffs. Their most difficult stretch comes after the bye week, highlighted by a matchup against the Eagles in Week 11.
Pittsburgh Steelers draft flub of Makai Lemon could bite them in Week 11
Missing out on Lemon during the draft is one thing, but the situation could age in very different ways.
If the wide receiver develops into a star, it would only put the Steelers in an even worse light for missing out on him. However, the outcome could just as easily go in another direction. Lemon could struggle to meet expectations or create issues within the Eagles’ locker room. In that scenario, Pittsburgh would likely feel a sense of relief about how everything unfolded.
Reality could fall somewhere in between, but it appears the recent first-round pick is positioned to have a strong NFL career. That moment, when Omar Khan was on the phone with Lemon only for the prospect to hang up as Philadelphia traded up to select him, could become one of the biggest blemishes on Khan’s resume. It was not a good look at the time, and it could look even worse.
Week 11 presents a major challenge for the Steelers. The Eagles clearly have the stronger roster, filled with experienced players who have recently won a Super Bowl. Pittsburgh will also enter a venue where it has not earned a victory in more than six decades. Unless injuries significantly impact the outcome, this is not a matchup where the Black and Gold should be considered the favorites.
Do not be surprised if Lemon has a standout performance against Pittsburgh in this matchup.
A game like that would only intensify the what-if scenario surrounding the Steelers' missing out on him during the draft. Week 11 is already shaping up to be one that fans will have circled on the calendar. They will be eager to see if the team can justify passing on Lemon while also ending a road losing streak in Philadelphia that dates back to 1965.
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