Steelers Learn Valuable NFL Draft Lesson

The Pittsburgh Steelers need to put this in their memory bank and not forget it.

Pittsburgh Steelers

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers were part of a three-team moment where the 20th pick in the NFL Draft was swapped out, and their guy was taken just before them. How it happened has sparked plenty of criticism toward the Steelers, who seem to be the only team anyone is talking about after Round One.

The Steelers were on the phone with USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, telling him they were going to draft him with pick No. 21, when suddenly Lemon asked the question, "Why is Philly calling me?"

That's because the Eagles just traded with the Dallas Cowboys to move up to pick No. 20 and select him. The Steelers pivoted and selected Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor, but it doesn't look good for Pittsburgh, as they learned a valuable lesson on draft night, and the world is letting them know of it the next day.

Here is the moment Makai Lemon thought he was getting drafted by #Steelers and realizing in real time that the #Eagles traded up, via @gmfb this morning.

He asked Omar Khan "Why is Philly calling [me]?" pic.twitter.com/AbXDJONYye

— Ross McCorkle (@Ross_McCorkle) April 24, 2026

Steelers Learn An Important Lesson

In the NFL, there is no time like the present. If you win a Super Bowl this season, no one cares about next. If you find your franchise quarterback now, no one is questioning the next team who found theirs. And if you know who you want to pick and have 12 picks in that draft, go get him.

The Steelers watched Lemon escape the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets, and when New York chose Kenyon Sadiq at No. 15, Pittsburgh should've been on the phone. And with each pick that passed, the price tag went down, meaning giving up one of their third-round picks or fourth-round picks was all it was likely going to cost to get their top guy.

It's a lesson the Steelers cannot ignore. While they're excited about Iheanachor, they know they messed up. They know they needed to be more aggressive and not let other teams determine their draft last-second. That needs to be their call, and that required a sense of urgency.

And this isn't to say Iheanachor can't turn out to be the right pick. Maybe Lemon doesn't work out and Iheanachor does. Maybe the Steelers just found their next franchise right tackle and moving Troy Fautanu to the left side is the right move.

Still, with plenty of draft left, this team needs to remember how things started for them. They aren't going to walk away with 12 usable draft picks. Trading some to get the best players on their board is the right move. And having some aggressiveness during the NFL Draft leads to maximizing your selections.

A lesson they need to learn from moving forward.

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