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The first round of the NFL draft was a wild one Thursday night. Fernando Mendoza went No. 1 overall to the Raiders as expected, but after that there was plenty of drama and some surprising picks, like the Rams taking Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson at No. 13.
The funniest move of the night came from the Eagles, who basically stole USC wide receiver Makai Lemon from the Steelers. Philadelphia’s social media team then celebrated that move by roasting Pittsburgh with a savage tweet that was about more than just football.
First, let’s explain how the Eagles ripped Lemon away from the Steelers
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Pittsburgh was on the phone with Lemon, telling him they were going to take him with the 21st pick. The Cowboys were on the clock with the 20th pick and everyone expected them to pick a defensive player. But that’s when things took a crazy turn as the Cowboys traded their pick to the rival Eagles, who then drafted Lemon.
Here’s Rapoport explaining how it went down:
From the NFL Draft: A wild story, as the #Eagles trade up for Makai Lemon... while he was on the phone with the #Steelers. pic.twitter.com/r1R6pQnFgi
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 24, 2026
Rapoport said:
“The Dallas Cowboys were on the clock at 20 with everyone knowing they were going defense. [The] Pittsburgh Steelers get on the phone with Makai Lemon planning to select him next at 21, except what they didn’t know is the Eagles had actually traded up over them, were trying to get in touch with Lemon, but he wasn’t answering because he was already on the phone with the Steelers,” Rapoport said. “In the end, the Eagles do the trade, they get Makai Lemon, and the Steelers grab a tackle right after.”
Here’s video of Lemon getting called by the Eagles while talking to the Steelers
Lemon was on the phone with the Steelers, and his family was celebrating, when suddenly the Eagles came calling.
This video of that moment is wild:
Here is the moment Makai Lemon thought he was getting drafted by #Steelers and realizing in real time that the #Eagles traded up, via @gmfb this morning.
— Ross McCorkle (@Ross_McCorkle) April 24, 2026
He asked Omar Khan "Why is Philly calling [me]?" pic.twitter.com/AbXDJONYye
The Eagles then ruthlessly trolled Pittsburgh
The Eagles were both excited about adding a new weapon to their offense and also more than happy to give Pittsburgh sports another loss this week.
Check out this tweet:
lol, go @NHLFlyers pic.twitter.com/sw3Srxjp5n
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) April 24, 2026
The Philadelphia Flyers are currently playing the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL playoffs and are one win away from completing a surprising sweep. So not only have Pittsburgh fans had to watch Philadelphia rip their hearts out a number of times this week on the ice, but then they had to watch as the Eagles swooped in and delivered another devastating blow on the first night of the NFL draft.
Ouch.
The Flyers had some fun celebrating the Eagles’ move:
Welcome to Philly, Makai!
— x - Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 24, 2026
You’ll like things on the east side of PA. 🤝 https://t.co/zY2lr3C52V
Makai Lemon’s reaction to the Eagles stealing him away from the Steelers
Lemon, expected by some to be a top-10 pick, was happy to hear his name finally get called and is looking forward to getting to work with one of the top teams in the NFC.
He shared his side of the story, saying he was talking with Pittsburgh when suddenly another call came through.
“The Eagles called me at the same time [as the Steelers], just finding out that they traded up to get me, so I feel like it was meant to be,” Lemon said. “I was super excited that they traded up.”
When Makai Lemon was asked what will Philly fans love about you:
— Trojan Football ✌️ ᶠᵃⁿ (@TrojanFBx) April 24, 2026
“You’re getting a dawg, it’s ready to work. I ain’t doing no playing” pic.twitter.com/uBsLvSWyU7
Makai Lemon’s stats at USC
Lemon played three years at USC, with his biggest season coming in 2025 when he caught 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 games. In 2024 he had 52 catches for 764 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games.
More NFL Draft from Sports Illustrated
- Dianna Russini Hosted a Pool Party at NFL Meetings Which Featured Mike Vrabel
- NFL Draft Proves Ohio State Is the Standard in College Football
- Dan Orlovsky Gave Us the Draft’s Top Moment and It Wasn’t Even Supposed to Happen
- Mike Vrabel Had Such an Awkward Conversation With Patriots’ First-Round Draft Pick
- SI:AM | Sean McVay Didn’t Seem Thrilled With Rams’ Ty Simpson Pick
This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Eagles Trolled Pittsburgh So Hard After Stealing Its Draft Pick at the Last Second .