Story perspectives

Eagles Trade Up to #20, Draft Review Initiated.

4/27/2026

Summary

Eagles Trade-Up

Eagles GM Howie Roseman traded up to No. 20 in the 2026 NFL Draft on April 24, 2026, to select Makai Lemon.
The move pushed the Pittsburgh Steelers to pick No. 21, where they chose tackle Max Iheanachor.
The NFL announced a draft review for possible tampering after the Eagles’ trade-up.
Cowboys Jerry Jones and executive Stephen Jones said they did not cheat, noting they traded down to No. 23 for safety Caleb Downs.

Summary

Cowboys Surrender Record

The Cowboys surrendered 511 points in 2025, the league’s highest total.
Their focus produced safety Caleb Downs at No. 11 and edge rusher Malachi Lawrence at No. 23.
Veteran Rashan Gary and second-round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku remained to boost the edge rush.
Dallas drafted left tackle Drew Shelton in round, eyed undrafted Sidney Fugar, and plans to move Tyler Smith from guard to left tackle to fix the O-line.

Summary

Eagles Draft Strategy

GM Howie Roseman said the draft targeted younger, cheaper offensive players to fund defensive stars nearing second contracts.
A.J. Brown is expected to be traded after June 1, potentially spreading $43 million in dead-cap money over several years.
The Eagles used a seventh-round International Pathway pick on 300-plus-pound defensive tackle Uar Bernard from Nigeria and graded Makai Lemon A+ and Eli Stowers A, with Stowers setting a 45½-inch vertical record.

History

Historical Context

After Commissioner Paul Tagliabue imposed the NFL’s first hard salary cap of $34.6 million in 1994, teams turned to inexpensive rookies; the Eagles drafted 22-year-old receiver Torry Holt sixth overall in 1999 as a model. Today GM Howie Roseman trades up for Makai Lemon, echoing that cap-era strategy, a tactic also used by Jerry Jones’s Cowboys.

1 of 4

Eagles Trade-Up

Eagles GM Howie Roseman traded up to No. 20 in the 2026 NFL Draft on April 24, 2026, to select Makai Lemon.
The move pushed the Pittsburgh Steelers to pick No. 21, where they chose tackle Max Iheanachor.
The NFL announced a draft review for possible tampering after the Eagles’ trade-up.
Cowboys Jerry Jones and executive Stephen Jones said they did not cheat, noting they traded down to No. 23 for safety Caleb Downs.

1 / 4