As the clock ticked toward pick No. 21, the Pittsburgh Steelers made their move by getting Makai Lemon on the phone. He was a receiver they’d been eyeing for a while. The USC standout was one of only six first-round graded prospects brought in for a pre-draft visit, a clear sign Pittsburgh had plans at wideout. And for a brief stretch, it looked like everything was lining up. Many believed Lemon might be the one walking across that stage next to Jerome Bettis, soaking in the roar of a crowd packed with Terrible Towels spinning in every direction.

But then, he received a second call. It was the Philadelphia Eagles, who traded up one spot ahead of the Steelers and snatched Lemon. That twist immediately raised eyebrows, especially after it came out that the Steelers had already called Lemon despite not being on the clock. While the NFL says it will review the situation, insiders are already piecing together how things may have unfolded behind the scenes.

“You don’t make the call until you’re on the clock,” an anonymous exec told The Athletic. “It’s crazy.”

Around the league, there’s a bit of a knowing shrug: some front office folks quietly hint that this might not be new territory for the Pittsburgh Steelers, suggesting early calls to prospects have happened before. This is “not the first time”, as stated by The Athletic.

“They think they are tying up the phone lines so the other team moves on because they can’t get in touch with the player,” another exec mentioned. “All it takes is you to call the player, and if another team calls the agent and they’re like, ‘Oh, he’s on the phone with so-and-so,’ now they know who you’re picking.”

While early communication with draft prospects may break the league’s protocol, boldly jumping up in the draft to acquire desired players isn’t unfamiliar. The Black and Gold were accused of doing a similar thing in the 2025 draft when they picked the defensive tackle, Derrick Harmon. While he was also a first-round (21st overall) pick from last year, the general manager Omar Khan reportedly called him before they were even on the clock. Unlike the Lemon saga, the move worked in their favor.

Plus, here’s the thing: Back in 2019, the Philadelphia Eagles moved ahead of the Houston Texans to land offensive lineman Andre Dillard. Houston then pivoted to Tytus Howard, a choice many saw as settling at the time, but Howard ultimately proved to be the better player. A similar outcome could be in play for Pittsburgh, which went with Max Iheanachor out of Arizona State at No. 21.

“I do not know if (Iheanachor) answers the questions that exist with Broderick Jones,” a different exec said about the player. “He will have a learning curve as a super athletic, super raw player. They drafted the Indiana fullback (Riley Nowakowski) and the Navy kid (Eli Heidenreich). What are you trying to do? Meanwhile, the quarterback situation is a real concern, whether or not (Aaron) Rodgers comes back.”

The team strengthened the wide receiver unit in the second round, picking Alabama’s Germie Bernard. That said, draft tactics have always been a part of the sport.

Both the Steelers and Eagles have used aggressive draft tactics in the past

The Steelers’ general manager, Omar Khan, pulled off a surprising move in 2023, which earned him the nickname ‘The Khan Artist.’ The Steelers’ primary draft target that year was the Georgia offensive tackle, Broderick Jones, who was also a top prospect for the New York Jets. With the Jets sitting at number 15 and the Steelers sitting at number 17, the former would have picked the OT.

That’s when Khan executed a calculated move, leapfrogging the Gang Green in the draft order. They exchanged their number 17 spot with the New England Patriots. Due to the swap deal, the Pats also received a fourth-round pick from the draft that year.

Similarly, the Eagles traded up three spots (from number 25 to 22) in the 2019 NFL Draft, selecting the offensive tackle Andre Dillard. The Houston Texans, who had a pick at number 23, were favored to take the Washington State player.

After losing Dillard, the Texans selected Alabama State OT Tytus Howard, who eventually had a better career. He stayed in Houston for seven seasons until being traded to the Cleveland Browns this season.

As for Lemon, while all signs point to the player being an important piece for the Eagles’ offense, it remains to be seen whether his skill and talent will translate to the NFL. If he goes on and has a big rookie season, the Steelers would certainly have major regrets, but these kinds of things are normal in a draft, and they will be hoping their other picks that were completed deliver.