Former NFL general manager Doug Whaley suggested Pittsburgh Steelers GM Omar Khan's praise for wide receiver Makai Lemon is a draft smokescreen. Draft analyst Todd McShay predicted a first-round run on offensive tackles could push top receivers down the board. The 2026 NFL Draft begins Thursday night in Pittsburgh.
Omar Khan offered praise for Makai Lemon earlier this week, calling out the receiver's skills ahead of the draft. But on 93.7 The Fan Wednesday, former NFL GM Doug Whaley dismissed it as misdirection. “That was just basically saying, ‘We like him. But we’re not sitting there saying he is something that’s going to propel us to the next level as a team.’ So it’s throwing out a little smokescreen,” Whaley said. He added that such comments avoid revealing true intentions about a prospect like Lemon, who faced criticism after his NFL Combine interview but remains a versatile slot receiver with strong hands and after-the-catch ability. Steelers hold the 21st pick and need receiver help regardless, with Lemon potentially available there or requiring a trade-up into the teens if demand rises among peers like Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson, Omar Cooper Jr., KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston. Todd McShay, speaking Wednesday on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, forecasted a heavy offensive tackle run through the first round's middle, possibly the sixth to Pittsburgh. “Wide receivers in general could slide a little bit because there’s so much need for offensive tackle,” McShay said. He noted Makai Lemon likely won't go as high as 13 and could fall further, with second-tier receivers like KC Concepcion, Omar Cooper Jr. from Indiana and Denzel Boston from Washington possibly reaching late first or second round. Up to seven tackles and two guards could go early, leaving fewer spots for other positions and benefiting teams like the Steelers.
