Eagles' Howie Roseman Explains Trading Up to Draft Makai Lemon After Viral Steelers Video

The Philadelphia Eagles had to trade up in the first round to draft Makai Lemon, sending a few of their own picks to the Dallas Cowboys.

It turns out the Eagles didn't want to move up to the 20th pick just to get Lemon, they also wanted to get ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"If we're being totally transparent, it wasn't like we were just trying to get to [pick No. 20]," Roseman told Mad Dog Sports Radio on Wednesday. "We were trying to get ahead of that pick, as well, because when you feel really strongly about a player, you think at every pick he's going."

The Cowboys initially had the 20th pick, with the Steelers behind them at No. 21. Pittsburgh was so confident in landing Lemon that the team called him to let him know they were selecting him while Dallas was still on the clock.

Lemon ended up getting drafted by the Eagles at No. 20 while he was on the phone with the Steelers.

"I was definitely shocked," Lemon said. "Definitely. I couldn't be more happy that they did. I'm super blessed."

Roseman explained that it wasn't just about getting in front of Pittsburgh. The Eagles knew they wanted Lemon and knew the Steelers did, too.

"To say that we were willing to sit there and just get ahead of Pittsburgh, it wouldn't be true," Roseman said. "We were trying to get up, we were trying to get the player. It so happened that we got in front of them, certainly, they were one of the teams that we thought would be in the mix, but more importantly for us than who anyone else wants, it's who we want and who we want to go get. And we wanted to get the player."

It's hard to blame Philadelphia for being so high on Lemon. The USC star and 2025 Biletnikoff Award winner had an outstanding final season of college football, recording 1,156 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.

The Steelers ended up taking offensive tackle Max Iheanachor with the 21st pick before taking wide receiver Germie Bernard in the second round and another wide receiver, Kaden Wetjen, in the fourth round.