It's been two decades since the Pittsburgh Steelers selected a wide receiver in the first round of the NFL Draft, and that streak could finally end in 2026. Last week, Pittsburgh's brass met with USC's Makai Lemon, and the star wideout could be the ultimate prize for general manager Omar Khan in Round 1.
Unfortunately, Lemon's path to falling to pick No. 21 already looked incredibly grim... and it might have just become more improbable.
On Monday, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that the Miami Dolphins will host Lemon for a 30 visit. The Dolphins hold the No. 11 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Now, if the Steelers want to land Lemon on April 23rd, they may be forced to trade up into the top-10 picks of the draft.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' trade price to move up for USC WR Makai Lemon could be too steep
It's no surprise the Dolphins are looking at first-round wide receiver prospects. After releasing All-Pro veteran Tyreek Hill, Miami traded three-time 1,000-yard receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos. Now the Dolphins have arguably the worst wide receiver room in the NFL.
While Miami's new head coach, Jeff Hafley, is embracing a full rebuild mode, the Dolphins will need at least one go-to option in the passing game for new quarterback Malik Willis... and the team's interest in Lemon could have the star receiver off the board by pick No. 11.
This is bad news for the Steelers, who would love to see a Makai Lemon slide on draft day. Instead, to ensure they have a shot at the talented wide receiver, Khan may be forced to trade into the top 10.
The Cincinnati Bengals hold the No. 10 pick in the draft. If a premier talent is still on the board, they may not want to trade away from this selection (by dealing with an AFC North rival, no less). But let's assume the Bengals would be willing to strike a deal with the Steelers. What would this look like?
Based on the NFL Draft Trade Value Chart, we can get a good estimate of what it would cost Pittsburgh to move up.
The Bengals' No. 10 pick is worth 1300 points, while Pittsburgh's No. 21 pick is worth 800 points. This means the Steelers would likely need to give the Bengals picks No. 21 (800 points), No. 53 (370 points), and No. 85 (165 points) to offer Cincinnati a package worth trading away a top-10 pick. The collection of these picks is worth 1335 points—presumably enough to get the job done.
If the Bengals are feeling generous, Khan might be able to get away with sending pick No. 99 in Round 3 instead of pick No. 85 in the deal. Either way, the projected price is steep.
We saw a similar scenario unfold for the Steelers in 2019, when former GM Kevin Colbert moved from pick No. 20 up to pick No. 10 in a trade-up with the Denver Broncos for linebacker Devin Bush. The deal included Pittsburgh's first- and second-round picks and a future third-round pick.
This is a ton of draft capital to give up to land a non-quarterback. While I like Lemon as much as the next NFL Draft analyst, the compensation to move up this high feels too rich for the Steelers to pull the trigger on a proposal.
Instead, Khan and the Steelers may need to roll the dice and hope that the Dolphins move in a different direction. With each pick that passes, a trade-up becomes significantly more affordable.
This is a good wide receiver class, and there could be a quality option available at pick No. 21. After the Dolphins' latest pre-draft visit, we need to brace ourselves for Makai Lemon going off the board early.