Did Eagles Sacrifice Draft Depth to Draft Makai Lemon?

By vaulting ahead of the Steelers at No. 21 to select Makai Lemon, Philadelphia GM Howie Roseman had to surrender both of his fourth-round picks.

Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Southern California Trojans receiver Makai Lemon poses on the red carpet before the 2026 NFL Draft at Point State Park. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA — There was a price to pay for leaving Pittsburgh Steelers GM Omar Khan at the altar.

By vaulting ahead of the Steelers at No. 21 to select Makai Lemon — the former USC playmaker who became the latest Eagles receiver on Thursday night — Philadelphia GM Howie Roseman had to surrender both of his fourth-round picks (Nos. 114 and 137) to division rival Dallas to move up just three spots, from 23 to 20.

In the moment, it felt steep.

“Obviously, it’s hard giving away those two fourth-round picks, because those are two projected players and two guys that we were really excited to start on Saturday,” Roseman acknowledged. “But we just felt it was really important to get [Lemon] based on where he was ranked and the contributions we think he can make to our team.”

Lemon, a 5-foot-11, 195-pound wideout, capped a standout junior season at USC by winning the 2025 Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top wide receiver. He posted 79 receptions for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns, earning unanimous First-Team All-American honors and first-team All-Big Ten recognition.

A polished slot specialist who can also line up outside, Lemon particularly excels with his route running, and has exceptional hands, YAC ability and a tough, competitive playing style that impressed head coach Nick Sirianni.

"Howie mentioned his ability to separate, Insane ability to catch the ball in contested situations," Sirianni said of Lemon. "I love his toughness. I think this guy is a tough, tough football player with the way he carries the football when he has the football in his hands and how he blocks. Insanely competitive, so there’s a lot to like. I’m really excited that he’s added to our roster."

The Trade Chart

Eagles GM Howie Roseman (left) and head coach Nick Sirianni met with reporters after selecting Makai Lemon in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. | Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

By the traditional NFL Draft trade chart, pick No. 20 is valued at 850 points compared to 760 for No. 23, meaning the Eagles had to make up a 90-point gap to convince the Cowboys to recede three spots where they ultimately selected UCF edge defender Malachi Lawrence.

Philadelphia sent Nos. 114 (66 points) and 137 (37.5 points) — totaling 103.5 — and received a future seventh-round pick in 2027 in return.

Using Rich Hill’s more modern trade chart, the difference between 23 and 20 was valued at just 24 points (245 to 269). Dallas gained 44 points from the two fourth-rounders, finishing the deal plus-19 in value.

It wasn’t a massive edge for the Cowboys, but a slight one that will disappear quickly if the Eagles’ evaluation of Lemon proves correct.

Entering Day 2 of the draft on Friday, Roseman now holds just two picks for Saturday: Nos. 178 and 197.

“I think that’s probably something we’ll see what happens over the next couple days, and it’ll probably be easier for me to answer when we’re done with the draft,” Roseman said when asked about the loss of draft volume. “We’ve got a fun night [on Friday] ahead, hopefully.”