Steelers May Have Gotten "Lucky" By Missing Out On Makai Lemon

The 2026 NFL Draft left a very sour taste in the mouths of Pittsburgh Steelers fans. The franchise has needed wide receiver help desperately for the past two seasons, and they were prepared to fill that need. The team was set to select USC's Makai Lemon with the 21st pick, and even had the 2025 Biletnikoff winner on the phone. While General Manager Omar Khan was speaking with Lemon, the Philadelphia Eagles moved up to the 20th pick to select the wide receiver, stunning the organization and their fans. The Eagles weren't afraid to overpay to move up, even with their division rival, the Dallas Cowboys, who held the 20th pick. 

Once the Steelers got jumped, they pivoted to offensive tackle Max Iheanachor, a project offensive tackle with immense upside. They decided to wait until day two to draft a wide receiver, selecting Alabama product Germie Bernard with the 47th pick. Bernard doesn't have the same pedigree as Lemon, but is still an upgrade over the current product. He will battle Roman Wilson for the No. 3 wide receiver spot, a battle he can surely win. 

While the team may have originally wanted Lemon, they still got a player they really liked in Bernard. Lemon may be better on the field, but Bernard is known as a great teammate off the field and a technician on it -- giving Steeler Nation a potentially different perspective on the situation. One insider believes the team may have gotten lucky with how things shook out in the NFL Draft, landing Bernard over Lemon. 

Mark Kaboly recently appeared on an episode of his show, Kaboly + Mack, where he discussed the excitement surrounding Bernard and his rookie season. The pair talked about Kaboly's recent tweet about his conversation with an NFL scout who raved about Bernard, which prompted Kaboly to question how Bernard fell to the second round in the first place, leading him to believe the Steelers got lucky. 

"He goes, 'You know who I love?' I'm like, 'Oh, boom.' I was like, 'Ok, I've heard a lot of good stuff about him too, but I'm not scouting the NFL either,'" Kaboly stated. "So it makes you feel a little bit better heading into the season, where at least, now I'm changing my thought here. Why the h**l did he last till the second round then... Maybe the Steelers did get lucky with that first-round pick."  

For the foreseeable future, Lemon will likely be under a microscope by Steeler fans, trying to see what could have been. Lemon will look to soon replace the production of AJ Brown, who the Eagles recently traded to the New England Patriots. Though it's not what they wanted, the Steelers didn't come out of the draft empty-handed; they got a tackle with the potential to be a star and a wide receiver who scouts raved about. 

Bernard is one of the few rookies on the team who could play early and often, with most of their picks being future-focused. He will be a great help to Aaron Rodgers out of the slot, thanks to his ability to gain yards after the catch. With Rodgers playing a very quick, get-the-ball-out style, Bernard could emerge as one of his favorite weapons by season's end. 

Steelers Fans Have To Wait And See

While Bernard has the opportunity to be great, there's no denying the potential Lemon could have had in the Steelers' offense. Lemon paired with DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. would be must-see TV. Like Bernard, Lemon can play any wide receiver position, but with his small archetype, he may be best suited out of the slot. A spot he would have fit perfectly in with the Steelers. 

Steelers fans will have to wait and see how Lemon's career turns out. Perhaps the Steelers really did get lucky, or maybe the 2026 NFL Draft could haunt fans for years to come. 

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