The perfect scenario was just seconds away from unfolding for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the NFL Draft. After a chaotic series of picks leading up to their selection, the Steelers were almost in a position to draft USC wide receiver Makai Lemon.
In fact, they were so close to taking him that they were on the phone with him when he was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles. Per insider Rob Maaddi, Lemon shared that he thought he was going to the Steelers before Philly's trade up.
"Pittsburgh called me, and I thought they were going to draft me, and then the Eagles called at the same time. I guess it was meant to be. I'm super excited to be in Philly."
Makai Lemon was seconds away from being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers
In the chaos of the draft, nothing is certain until the card is turned in. The Steelers learned that lesson the hard way on Thursday night.
Lemon was one of the top receivers in this class and should never have been available at No. 20. Even if the Steelers didn't have a pressing need at the position after adding Michael Pittman Jr. earlier in the offseason, the USC product would have been a no-brainer selection.
His prowess in the slot would transform Pittsburgh's offense, giving them a reliable option in the short and intermediate areas. While he lacks ideal size and speed, Lemon creates separation better than the typical college product. There's a reason he's drawn comparisons to Amon-Ra St. Brown. Drafting a player like him in the back half of the first round is an opportunity no team should pass up on.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman made sure his team was the one to benefit from the receiver's draft-day slide. He pulled off a trade with the Dallas Cowboys that moved Philadelphia up three spots, just ahead of Pittsburgh.
In embarrassing fashion, the Steelers already thought that they had Lemon locked down. They were on the phone with the receiver, telling him that he would be their pick. The USC product even missed the call from Roseman while on the phone with the Steelers.
Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor isn't a bad consolation prize. He could be an anchor on the offensive line for years to come. But the fact that the Steelers were just moments away from securing the steal of the draft is impossible to ignore.
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