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Eagles Draft No. 20 Makai Lemon, Steelers Call Under Review

4/25/2026

23 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Eagles Draft Lemon

The Eagles selected Makai Lemon with the No. 20 pick after the Pittsburgh Steelers called him while the Eagles were on the clock.
The league says the Steelers’ pre-slot call may violate rules and will be reviewed in a post-draft evaluation the week after the draft.
NFL Network aired video of Lemon speaking with the Steelers, which a source said could bring scrutiny to Steelers despite not affecting the Eagles’ selection.

Summary

Eagles Trade Up

Philadelphia traded picks 114, 137 and a 2027 seventh-rounder to Dallas to move from No. 23 to No. 20 overall.
The trade covered a 90-point gap on the traditional chart and gave Dallas about 103.5 points on modern charts.
After losing both fourth-rounders, the Eagles kept only picks No. 178 and 197 and signed edge rusher Jonathan Greenard to a four-year, up-to-$100 million deal.

History

Historical Context

Jimmy Johnson’s 1989 Herschel Walker trade gave Dallas eight high draft picks that built a 1990s Super Bowl dynasty. By 1994 the emphasis on pick value, popularized by Johnson, led teams such as the Philadelphia Eagles to swap selections, showing how his aggressive trade philosophy reshaped NFL league-wide draft tactics.

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Eagles Draft Lemon

The Eagles selected Makai Lemon with the No. 20 pick after the Pittsburgh Steelers called him while the Eagles were on the clock.
The league says the Steelers’ pre-slot call may violate rules and will be reviewed in a post-draft evaluation the week after the draft.
NFL Network aired video of Lemon speaking with the Steelers, which a source said could bring scrutiny to Steelers despite not affecting the Eagles’ selection.

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