Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Omar Khan speak at a press conference at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex before the NFL Draft on Sunday, April 19, 2026 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Taylor Ollason / Pittsburgh Steelers)
The Pittsburgh Steelers being on the phone with USC wide receiver Makai Lemon before the Steelers were on the clock in this past year’s draft was supposedly not something uncommon. Mike Sando of The Athletic reports that multiple unnamed sources claimed that the Steelers have done it before.
The Steelers were on the phone with Lemon when the Eagles were considering the trade, with Philly unable to get ahold of him. The Eagles eventually made the trade anyway, and sniped Lemon away from the Steelers.
“They think they are tying up the phone lines so the other team moves on because they can’t get in touch with the player,” one unnamed executive told Sando. “All it takes is you to call the player, and if another team calls the agent and they’re like, ‘Oh, he’s on the phone with so-and-so,’ now they know who you’re picking.”
Another unnamed executive blasted the Steelers for calling prospects when they’re not on the clock.
“You don’t make the call until you’re on the clock,” the unnamed executive said. “It’s crazy.”
Former Eagles executive Jake Rosenberg tweeted the day after the draft that the move violates the rules. The NFL said, “The league reviews all aspects of the Draft the week after its conclusion.” Nothing has been announced as of yet.
Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan during the 2025 NFL Draft on April 24, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Many were harsh on Steelers general manager Omar Khan for allowing the Eagles to swoop in and take Lemon right before the Steelers picked at No. 21 overall.
The Steelers had a league-high 12 picks, but Khan was comfortable in not trading up. It nearly worked if it wasn’t for Howie Roseman.
“If we’re being totally transparent, it wasn’t like we were just trying to get to [pick No. 20],” Roseman told Mad Dog Sports Radio on Wednesday. “We were trying to get ahead of that pick, as well, because when you feel really strongly about a player, you think at every pick he’s going.
“To say that we were willing to sit there and just get ahead of Pittsburgh, it wouldn’t be true. We were trying to get up, we were trying to get the player. It so happened that we got in front of them, certainly, they were one of the teams that we thought would be in the mix, but more importantly for us than who anyone else wants, it’s who we want and who we want to go get. And we wanted to get the player.”
Some thought the Steelers panicked with the Max Iheanachor selection. The Steelers disagree with that notion, however. They were not just scrambling to make a pick. They believe Iheanachor is a perfect Steeler and are comfortable with where they got him on the board.
“If there’s an offensive lineman that was meant to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it’s definitely Max. His skill set, to me, that jumps off the tape at you,” Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy said during an interview with Adam Schien of Mad Dog Sports Radio on Thursday. “He’s definitely built for this. You look at his background, his soccer background, you could see it, just with his versatility. Both in pass pro, and run blocking. When he gets his hands on you, he sticks. And he does a really good job of reacting to second and third reactions. So, I think he has a very, very bright future. We’re really excited to have him.”
Mentioned In This Article: 2026 NFL Draft Howie Roseman. Makai Lemon Max Iheanachor Omar Khan Pittsburgh Steelers Steelers Steelers News