As the Philadelphia Eagles begin preparing for the next phase of the 2026 season, many fans have continued to pore over their team's recent draft class.
The Eagles made waves for several reasons in this recent draft; however, their selection of wide receiver Makai Lemon dominated the headlines at the completion of Day 1. With the 2026 NFL Draft complete, Bleacher Report writer Moe Moton believes the Eagles' trade for Lemon may have been one of the biggest surprises.
"Makai Lemon thought he would walk onto the draft stage in front of the home crowd as the newest addition to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but that changed in a matter of minutes. While Lemon was on the phone with Pittsburgh general manager Omar Khan, Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman called to say he had traded up for him. The Eagles jumped from No. 23 to No. 20, over the Steelers, who had the No. 21 overall pick. Even more surprising, Philadelphia pulled off the deal with the Dallas Cowboys. The NFC East rivals created real-time drama for viewers. If Lemon plays up to first-round expectations, the Cowboys may regret allowing the Eagles to pull off that deal."
Eagles trading up for Makai Lemon named one of the draft's biggest surprises
The Eagles created plenty of confusion when they jumped in front of the Steelers to draft the talented USC, especially since the Steelers had planned to draft him before the trade. Lemon was apparently on the phone with Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan; however, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman was working behind the scenes to select Him.
After making the trade to move from pick 23 to pick 20, Roseman would be the one to call Lemon, letting him know he was the latest member of the Philadelphia Eagles, one pick ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who owned the 21st pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
While trades are extremely common, the fact that the Eagles were able to pull the deal off with their rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, was probably the most shocking situation of the deal. Heated rivals in the NFC East, the Eagles and Cowboys, were able to look past their competitiveness in an effort to reach a deal that would create a drama-filled storyline heading into the 2026 season.
An added storyline is that the deal was made by Dallas, which once employed the current Steelers head coach, Mike McCarthy, who led the Cowboys from 2020 to 2024.
The trade allowed the Cowboys to receive the No. 23 pick and two fourth-round selections (Nos. 114 and 137) from the Eagles for the 20th pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick. The Cowboys would select Malachi Lawrence (no. 23), Devin Moore (no. 114), and LT Overton (no. 137).
Read more: Eagles fans won't see Howie Roseman have any regrets for critical draft decision
While both teams obviously feel they improved their rosters post-trade, one thing to keep an eye on is how Lemon's career progresses. While the NFL draft annually produces plenty of memorable moments and surprises, the trade between the Cowboys and Eagles will be one of the more surprising moments this season, with implications for years to come.
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