The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the 2026 NFL Draft eager to add depth in the wide receiver position. With top prospects like Carnell Tate and Jordyn Taylor already picked early in the draft, it seemed like Makai Lemon would be their choice with the 21st pick, but the Philadelphia Eagles swooped in to steal him from the Steelers. This has led to their former player, Bryant McFadden, criticizing the franchise.

“The Steelers are my sore losers because of what transpired right before their pick was up,” said McFadden on CBS Sports HQ. “There’s a report that the Steelers called Makai Lemon. It’s legit. He was on the phone with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Pittsburgh Steelers had all intent to draft him, and they were letting Makai know that.”

General Manager Omar Khan’s Plan A was to draft a QB, as there was no update on the Aaron Rodgers situation. However, with the top picks like Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson already finding teams, they had to look at Plan B, which was drafting a WR. USC’s Makai Lemon seemed to be the player they were most interested in, but then the Philadelphia Eagles played their masterstroke.

They initially had the No. 23 pick. But during the live coverage, the Eagles moved up the draft by trading that and two other fourth-round picks [114 and 137] with the Dallas Cowboys. McFadden particularly seemed disappointed with the inability of the Steelers to predict such a situation.

“While they were having that phone call, the Philadelphia Eagles traded up with the Dallas Cowboys in front of the Pittsburgh Steelers to 20 to take Makai,” McFadden added. “Clearly, they pulled a switcheroo on the Pittsburgh Steelers because they didn’t think the Philadelphia Eagles would do any business with a division foe… So, it felt like it put Pittsburgh in a very unprepared situation.”

GM Omar Khan and the Steelers had only one chance in 1st round. Despite signing veteran Michael Pittman Jr., they needed more playmakers. Makai Lemon could have been that missing puzzle piece to pair with their reliable stars. Instead, they picked Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor. Although they missed adding Lemon, Yahoo Sports’ Charles McDonald saw Iheanachor as a valuable addition.

“The Steelers had to bring in more offensive line help, and they took a huge swing on potential and talent here with the selection of Iheanachor,” said McDonald. “He just started playing football 4-5 years ago in junior college, so even though he’s an older player, he still has a ton of upside here and could be the final piece for the Steelers’ young, talented offensive line.

Now that the first round picks have already been in the books, could the Steelers go aggressive on the second day?

NFL insider calls to watch out for GM Omar Khan’s Steelers on Friday

After drafting Max Iheanachor in the first round, GM Omar Khan and the Pittsburgh Steelers will enter the second round with pick number 53. However, they will have three picks in the third round (Nos. 76, 85, and 99), and according to NFL Insider Tom Pelissero, there is a high chance of the Steelers going aggressive on Friday.

“What I would tell you is watch the Steelers today,” Pelissero said Friday morning on Good Morning Football. “Keep an eye on what they do on Round 2. They potentially move up? Do they go get a different receiver now to be able to fill both those needs? I would certainly not rule that out.”

After missing out on Makai Lemon, there are still a few promising WRs on the list. Washington’s Denzel Boston, Alabama’s Germie Bermard, and Louisville’s Chris Bell stand out as some of the names. The franchise could add one of these names to strengthen its offense and help coach Mike McCarthy set up a good roster for his first season as the coach of the Steelers.