The Steelers Got Absolutely Blindsided at No. 21 and Had to Autopick on National TV
Round 1 of the 2026 NFL draft is in the books, and Pittsburgh has a nightmare they're going to be replaying for a while. The Steelers didn't just miss out on wide receiver Makai Lemon. They got straight up outmaneuvered by the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys working in tandem, and insider Alan Saunders is calling it an embarrassment.
Plan A Failed. Plan B Failed. Then They Ran Out of Plans
Here's how bad it got: The Steelers had two shots. First, they wanted a QB. That didn't happen. So they pivoted to Plan B, a sensible move. They watched Makai Lemon fall down the board and thought they had their guy at No. 21.
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👉 Claim Your Free $10 at KalshiExcept they didn't know the Eagles had already traded up ahead of them. Ian Rapoport spelled out the chaos: "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, were trying to get in touch with Lemon, but he wasn't answering because he was already on the phone with the Steelers. In the end, the Eagles do the trade, they get Makai Lemon, and the Steelers grab a tackle right after."
Got Sniped. Had to Autopick
When Philadelphia snagged Lemon at No. 20, the Steelers' room went silent. According to Saunders, they had run out of contingency plans. They were forced to make an autopick, basically punting on their night and grabbing a tackle with their next selection.
The Eagles worked the system perfectly, trading up with Dallas and executing while Pittsburgh was caught flat footed with Lemon on the phone. It's the kind of draft night disaster that haunts a franchise through the season. The Steelers will have to wait before they get another crack at adding a wide receiver, and they'll be kicking themselves the whole time.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.