The Pittsburgh Steelers have already had an extremely pivotal offseason as the organization has brought in a new head coach in Mike McCarthy. Basically an entire new staff is coming into the organization with McCarthy, and once that part of the offseason is wrapped, the head coach is going to begin to figure out what to do with his roster for the 2026 season. This includes what to do with players currently under contract, how to attack free agency, and a strategy for the 2026 NFL Draft. McCarthy will work with General Manager Omar Khan on this, and hopefully the two can find a way to improve the roster.
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Dan Rooney III, Art Rooney II, Head Coach Mike McCarthy, and Omar Khan after McCarthy singed his contract to become the next head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
McCarthy is an offensive-minded head coach, and he is going to be calling the plays for the Steelers during the 2026 season. He is going to need some more weapons on that side of the ball as the wide receiver position was a clear weakness for Pittsburgh in 2025. The Steelers currently hold the 21st overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and wide receiver is definitely on the table with that selection. Christopher Carter of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette released on mock draft on Monday morning, and he had Pittsburgh making a bold move, moving up to the 11th overall pick to take wide receiver Makai Lemon out of USC.
"Lemon is a playmaking receiver with elite route-running ability and is one of the best contested-catch players in the class," Carter wrote. "His skill set would be a dynamic match with DK Metcalf’s size and speed, and Lemon could soon emerge as the team’s top receiver. In a receiver class that looks deep and talented, Lemon could very well be the best playmaker of them all. If the Steelers wanted to make a big splash with a potential elite playmaker in the first round, Lemon would be a great fit and would open up the offense with a one-two punch alongside Metcalf that the team hasn’t had in years."
In order to make this pick, Carter has Pittsburgh completing a trade with the Miami Dolphins. The trade would land Pittsburgh the 11th overall pick, while Miami would receive the 21st overall pick, the 76th pick, and the 99th pick. It is hard to imagine the Dolphins would agree to a trade like this, especially with where the franchise is currently. However, Pittsburgh moved up 10 spots back in 2019 for a similar price.
John McGillen / USC Athletics
USC's Makai Lemon carries the football during a home game with the Trojans.
Lemon spent three seasons at USC, and he is considered one of the best route runners in this class. The only two wide receivers taken above him in Carter's mock draft were Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson, which made him the third off the board. Pittsburgh desperately needs a player of Lemon's caliber, as a route runner like him could really open up the passing game.
The young wide receiver had his best season in 2025. He caught 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns, and also ran for two touchdowns on the year. He is an impressive player, and he would almost certainly be worth the trade.
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USC's Makai Lemon makes an acrobatic catch during a home game against Notre Dame.
Steelers Trading Up For Makai Lemon Might Not Even Be Possible
The 2026 draft class is loaded with some wide receiver talent, and as of now, roughly five players at the position are expected to go in the first round. Tate and Tyson are consistently seen as top 10 selections, while Lemon falls somewhere in the teens. Behind Lemon is Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion. A lot can change between now and the draft, but Lemon could fly up draft boards before the event and essentially make the price far too large to trade up to land him. The Steelers could also fall in love with Boston or Concepcion. Regardless, the team needs a wide receiver, and it seems hard to go wrong with these top five prospects.
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