Steelers had Lemon on the phone when Eagles traded up for him

An unexpected trade between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys prevented wide receiver Makai Lemon from landing with the Pittsburgh Steelers, possibly creating a wild what-if scenario.

Lemon was on the phone with the Steelers, owners of the No. 21 pick, while the Cowboys were on the clock at No. 20 in Thursday's first round of the NFL draft. Dallas was widely expected to address its defense, which seemingly allowed Pittsburgh to target an offensive player of its choice without issue.

However, the Eagles made a trade to acquire the Cowboys' selection and draft Lemon, spoiling the Steelers' plans.

"First, I answered the phone, and it was the Steelers. And then my phone kept ringing. I look, and it's the Eagles. They traded up. And they were going to pick me," Lemon said, according to The Athletic's Brooks Kubena. "I feel like everything happened for a reason. They traded up, so it means a lot that they really want me. I'm all-in, and they're going to get everything I got."

With Lemon off the board, Pittsburgh settled for offensive tackle Max Iheanachor. Meanwhile, Dallas snagged pass-rusher Malachi Lawrence with the No. 23 choice acquired in its trade with Philadelphia. Earlier in the draft, the Cowboys used the 11th pick on safety Caleb Downs.

Lemon, theScore's No. 1 wide receiver prospect, set career highs with 79 receptions, 1,156 yards, and 11 touchdown grabs at USC last season.