Steelers GM clears the air on Makai Lemon draft blunder

The Pittsburgh Steelers were forced to pivot away from their preferred first-round selection.

They were set to take USC star WR Makai Lemon with the No. 21 pick and even got on the phone with him.

The only problem is that they weren't on the clock yet, and once the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles caught wind of their intentions, they worked out a deal so that the Eagles could move up and take him at No. 20.

That was one of the most notorious blunders in recent NFL Draft history, but Steelers GM Omar Khan claims it's just the way things go in the heat of the moment.

Steelers GM defends their process after Makai Lemon fiasco

“When the draft happens, there’s a lot of excitement that goes on,” Khan told the media Saturday night, via Alan Saunders. “There was no ill intent when we made the call. As I mentioned, we have a good process, and you trust your board. The draft throws curveballs at you in every round, trust me. Things sort of take care of themselves.”

The league will reportedly look further into this situation, given that the Steelers shouldn't have contacted a prospect before they were on the clock.

Even if this is standard procedure, it was a mistake on their end, and they paid the price.

Lemon literally had to hang up on them when his agent burst into the room to let him know that he was going to Philadelphia instead.

It all worked out for the player, which is the most important thing in this scenario, but the Steelers could've also saved themselves from some public humiliation during the draft they were also hosting.

The Steelers ended up taking OT Max Iheanachor at No. 21, and it'll be interesting to look back on this blunder five years from now to see whether they dodged a bullet or should feel even worse about it.