A new ESPN clip from the 2026 NFL Draft shows Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys negotiating a trade to swap the No. 20 and No. 23 picks, preventing the Pittsburgh Steelers from selecting wide receiver Makai Lemon at No. 21. The deal allowed the Eagles to jump ahead and draft Lemon. The Steelers instead picked offensive tackle Max Iheanachor and later acquired receiver Germie Bernard.
During the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft on May 3, the Pittsburgh Steelers were on the phone with wide receiver Makai Lemon, intending to select him at No. 21. However, the Philadelphia Eagles traded up from No. 23 to No. 20 with the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys received pick No. 20 and a 2027 seventh-round pick in exchange for No. 23, No. 114, and No. 137 in the fourth round, according to footage from ESPN's The Pick Is In aired on May 3, 2026, as shared by the NFL's official account. Eagles GM Howie Roseman called Steelers GM Omar Khan mid-conversation, interrupting the Steelers' plans. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones waited for Roseman's call to negotiate better terms, opting not to initiate to potentially secure more draft capital. The Cowboys had earlier traded up for safety Caleb Downs and planned to target edge rusher Malachi Lawrence at No. 20 if they stayed put; they selected him at No. 24 after the trade. Jones explained in the documentary, “We were actually trying to get some more picks, we were betting that the players that we had in mind that we could afford to move down some, and 1 or 2 of a group of four players be there.” A report by Dallas beat writer Nick Harris claimed the Steelers were unhappy with the Cowboys' move—given prior coaching ties—but both teams denied it. The Steelers addressed their needs by drafting Iheanachor at No. 21 and trading up on Day 2 for Alabama receiver Germie Bernard, seen as a fit for coach Mike McCarthy's offense.
