Missing out on Makai Lemon in Round 1 might feel like the ultimate gut punch following the 2026. Though he profiled best as a slot receiver, the USC star could have been a fiery go-to option for the Pittsburgh Steelers' passing game. When the Dallas Cowboys pulled the rug out from under the Steelers and traded with the Philadelphia Eagles—who rushed to draft Lemon—this stung the fanbase.
But maybe it was for the best.
This isn't just a rationale to justify Pittsburgh's selection in Round 1 or its lack of aggressiveness in moving up for Lemon. After getting jumped by the Eagles, general manager Omar Khan selected Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor. And from there, the draft sequencing worked out brilliantly for the Steelers on Day 2.
After the Iheanachor pick, the Steelers jumped up six spots in the second round to secure Alabama wide receiver, Germie Bernard. This decision was followed by the third-round selections of quarterback Drew Allar, cornerback Daylen Everette, and offensive lineman Gennings Dunker.
However, had Lemon been the pick in Round 1, the draft sequencing could have gotten ugly for the Steelers.
The Pittsburgh Steelers lucked into excellent draft sequencing early in the 2026 NFL Draft
Everyone knew that the Pittsburgh Steelers wanted to address wide receiver and offensive line with their first two selections. This was clear based on needs and who the team appeared to be targeting early in the draft. And once we learned about Broderick Jones' injury setback, we could have assumed that tackle became the bigger priority.
Ultimately, the Steelers went offensive tackle then wide receiver—landing a raw, high-upside tackle in Iheanachor before nabbing a high-floor, do-it-all receiver in Bernard.
But what would the sequencing look like had Lemon been the Steelers' first-round pick?
Though the Steelers would have landed a more highly-regarded receiver prospect, the selection of offensive tackles in Round 2 would have looked concerningly grim. Even if we assume that Pittsburgh made the same trade-up to pick No. 47 in the second round, there would have been no tackles worth taking at this spot.
Shortly after the Steelers took Iheanachor at pick No. 21, the Patriots landed the last of the quality group of potential first-round tackles—drafting Utah's Caleb Lomu at pick No. 28. From there, we saw a massive talent gap, and the next tackle wasn't drafted until pick No. 68 in Round 3.
The tackles available for Pittsburgh's second-round pick included Miami's Markel Bell, Florida's Austin Barber, Texas A&M's Trey Zuhn, and Minnesota's Caleb Tiernan. All of these tackles were deemed developmental prospects—players with some starting traits, but with no guarantee of developing into starters.
If the Steelers missed out on an offensive tackle in Round 1, they may have been forced to overdraft a tackle in Round 2, knowing they have a major hole at the position and need a foundational piece for the future who could replace Jones. However, the options would have been admittedly underwhelming.
When you sequence it, would you rather have Iheanachor and Bernard with Pittsburgh's top two picks, or Lemon and your choice of the remaining tackles?
There's a case to be made that Iheanachor and Bernard worked out better than the Steelers' sequencing would have if they'd gone WR first and OT second in the draft. In fact, maybe Pittsburgh would have simply taken Gennings Dunker in Round 2—a player they would later steal at pick No. 96 late in the third round.
If Makai Lemon turns out to be a superstar receiver, we can completely ignore this food for thought. However, if Max Iheanachor can come anywhere close to reaching his potential, and Germie Bernard turns out to be a respectable option in the passing game, we could argue that this sequencing worked out perfectly for the Steelers in the first two rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft.
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