Eagles' Howie Roseman opens up about leapfrogging Steelers to draft Makai Lemon

Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan was left with some egg on his face after it was learned that he was on the phone with USC wide receiver Makai Lemon right as the Philadelphia Eagles leapfrogged the Steelers in the 2026 NFL Draft order so that the Eagles could select Lemon with pick No. 20.

During a Wednesday appearance on SiriusXM's Mad Dog Sports Radio, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman shared his side of what has become one of the more fascinating stories from the opening night of the draft. 

Eagles would've gone higher than pick No. 20 for Makai Lemon

"If we're being totally transparent, it wasn't like we were just trying to get to [pick No. 20]," Roseman explained, per Brigid Kennedy of Sports Illustrated. "We were trying to get ahead of that pick, as well, because when you feel really strongly about a player, you think at every pick he's going." 

Presumably, the Eagles view Lemon as a replacement for wideout A.J. Brown. Philadelphia is expected to trade Brown to the New England Patriots at some point after June 1. 

As for the Steelers, they were looking to acquire another weapon for a passing attack that likely will have future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers serving as its first-choice quarterback through at least the 2026 season. In the end, the Steelers grabbed Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor via choice No. 21. 

Why Eagles went up from pick No. 23 to No. 20

"To say that we were willing to sit there and just get ahead of Pittsburgh, it wouldn't be true," Roseman added. "We were trying to get up. We were trying to get the player. It so happened that we got in front of them. Certainly, they were one of the teams that we thought would be in the mix. But more importantly for us than who anyone else wants, it's who we want and who we want to go get. And we wanted to get the player."

Only time will tell if the Eagles or Steelers will be able to declare victory regarding what happened on April 23. In an ideal situation, Lemon and Iheanachor would both become long-term key contributors for their current employers.