Makai Lemon was prepared to be part of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2026 NFL Draft … until he wasn’t.
The star wide receiver went viral after the Philadelphia Eagles traded up on the draft board to snag Lemon, as he was on the phone with the Steelers.
“I was definitely shocked,” Lemon said after the Eagles snatched him away from their in-state rival. “Definitely. I couldn’t be more happy that they did. I’m super blessed.”
The Eagles traded to the No. 20 pick in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday, April 23, jumping ahead of the Steelers at No. 21, and used that opportunity to take the wide receiver off the board.
The viral social media video shows Lemon and his family celebrating after receiving a phone call from Steelers general manager Omar Khan. While on the phone with the Steelers, Lemon’s agent runs up to hand him another phone and tell him that the Eagles traded up to pick him.
The moment quickly became one of the more memorable moments from the first round of the draft.
Keep scrolling to read more about Lemon:
Played 3 Years At University of Southern California
After an excellent high school football career, Lemon earned a scholarship offer from the University of Southern California and elected to play his college football career with the Trojans.
He originally committed to play at Oklahoma — under head coach Lincoln Riley — but when Riley left the Sooners to join USC, Lemon followed suit.
Won the 2025 Fred Biletnikoff Award For Most Outstanding Receiver
Lemon put together a successful college football career with the Trojans, culminating in the 2025 Fred Biletnikoff Award in his final season, given to the most outstanding receiver.
He became just the second winner of the award from USC.
Received his 1st College Scholarship Offer As a Freshman in High School
Just like in college, Lemon was a standout during his high school years and received his first college scholarship offer during his freshman year.
By the end of his sophomore year of high school, he had 12 scholarship offers lined up from some of the top football programs in the nation, including Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee and Texas.
Makai Lemon after being selected No. 20 overall by the Philadelphia Eagles at the 2026 NFL Draft Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
Father Played Football Before Career Was Thrown Off Course Because of Injury
Lemon comes from an athletic family — his dad, Michael, was a top football recruit out of high school in California. However, a gruesome injury to his leg threw his career off its trajectory. Despite some of the bigger college football programs rescinding their interest, UNLV stayed the course and Michael played his college career in Las Vegas.
Additionally, Lemon’s uncle, Tim, was a second-round pick in the 1998 MLB Draft to the St. Louis Cardinals, and another uncle, Jerry, had a successful football career at Fresno State.
Skipped USC’s Bowl Game to Prepare for the NFL Draft
It’s common for college players to skip out on their team’s Bowl Game to prepare for the NFL Draft, and Lemon did just that after his final year at USC.
He finished his career with 2008 yards on 137 receptions and 14 touchdowns.
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