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police lemon Was set to join the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2026 NFL Draft… until he didn’t.
The star wide receiver, who rose to prominence after the Philadelphia Eagles traded up on the draft board to acquire Lemon, was on the phone with the Steelers.
“I’m definitely shocked,” Lemon said after the Eagles snatched him away from their in-state rivals. “Absolutely. I’m very happy that they did it. I’m very lucky.”
The Eagles traded up to the No. 20 pick in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday, April 23, ahead of the Steelers’ No. 21 pick, and took advantage of the opportunity to take a wide receiver off the board.
this viral social media videos Lemon and his family celebrate after receiving call from Steelers general manager Omar Khan. While on the phone with the Steelers, Lemon’s agent ran over and handed him another phone and told him the Eagles were trading up to draft him.
The moment quickly became one of the most memorable first-round draft picks.
Keep scrolling to read more about lemons:
Played 3 years at the University of Southern California
After a stellar high school football career, Lemon earned a scholarship to the University of Southern California and chose to play his college football career with the Trojans.
He originally committed to play at Oklahoma State under head coach Lincoln Riley – But when Riley left the Sooners to join USC, Lemon followed suit.
Won the 2025 Fred Biletnikoff Most Outstanding Receiver Award
Lemon went on to a successful college football career with the Trojans, winning the 2025 Fred Biletnikoff Award, given to the most outstanding receiver, in his final season.
He became the second recipient of the award from USC.
Earned his first college scholarship as a high school freshman
Just like in college, Lemon excelled in high school and earned his first college scholarship as a freshman.
By the end of his sophomore year in high school, he had received 12 scholarship offers from some of the top football programs in the country, including Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee and Texas.
Makai Lemon was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles with the 20th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft
Emily Chin/Getty Images
New York Giants legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor was hospitalized in New Jersey following a medical emergency on Friday, April 24, TMZ Sports reports. The outlet did not provide an update on his condition, but added that people close to him did not seem to think “whatever he was dealing with (…)
Dad played football before career was cut short by injury
Lemon comes from an athletic family—his father, Michael, was a top football recruit out of California High School. However, a serious leg injury derailed his career. Although some of the larger college football programs rescinded their interest, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas held on and Michael spent his college career in Las Vegas.
Additionally, Lemon’s uncle, Tim, was drafted in the second round of the 1998 MLB draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, while another uncle, Jerry, had a successful football career at Fresno State.
Skip the USC bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft
It’s common for college players to sit out their team’s bowl games to prepare for the NFL draft, which Lemon did after his senior year at USC.
He finished his career with 2,008 yards, 137 receptions and 14 touchdowns.