Pittsburgh Got Outmaneuvered and Had to Autopick: How the Eagles and Cowboys Tag-Teamed the Steelers at No. 21

Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft is done, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are still feeling the sting. While some teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys made smart trades up to land their targets, and others traded down because their needs could wait, the Steelers just... ran out of plans. According to insider Alan Saunders, Pittsburgh botched their strategy so badly they were forced to autopick after the Eagles sniped their guy.

Plan A Failed, Plan B Got Ambushed

Here's what went down at No. 21: The Steelers walked into the draft with a clear hierarchy. Plan A was to grab a QB early. That didn't work out, which wasn't really their fault. So they pivoted to Plan B, which made total sense. They wanted wide receiver Makai Lemon, and as the pick approached, it looked like he was actually going to fall to them. They had their shot lined up. Then the Eagles and Cowboys double-teamed them and it all fell apart.

The Dallas-Philadelphia Coordination That Changed Everything

NFL insider Ian Rapoport broke down exactly how it happened. The Eagles and Cowboys coordinated a trade to get Lemon at No. 20, one pick before Pittsburgh. Here's the brutal part: while the Steelers had Lemon on the phone planning to draft him, the Eagles were also trying to reach him. But Lemon wasn't picking up because he was already talking to Pittsburgh. The Eagles did their trade anyway, got Lemon, and suddenly the Steelers had nothing.

"The Dallas Cowboys were on the clock at No. 20 with everybody knowing they were going defense. Pittsburgh Steelers get on the phone with Makai Lemon, planning to select him next at 21. Except what they didn't know is the Eagles had actually traded up over them," Rapoport explained to NFL Network host Rich Eisen. "In the end, the Eagles do the trade, they get Makai Lemon, and the Steelers grab a tackle right after."

The Steelers went from confident to scrambling in seconds. They ended up taking a tackle when they really needed a receiver. This is what happens when you don't have a Plan C ready.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.