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Steelers' 6-2 Start Owes a Lot to a Draft-Day Miss Pittsburgh Should Be Thankful For
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- Steelers' 6-2 Start Owes a Lot to a Draft-Day Miss Pittsburgh Should Be Thankful For
Draft night rarely goes to script, even for the host city. Pittsburgh hosted the NFL draft in April, and the Pittsburgh Steelers nearly used the No. 21 pick on USC receiver Makai Lemon in front of their own fans. The Eagles traded up with Dallas to No. 20 and took Lemon while the Steelers were on the phone with him, according to CBS Sports . Pittsburgh took Arizona State tackle Max Iheanachor instead.
Six months later, Nick Kostos, the host of the BetMGM Network's You Better You Bet , thinks the Steelers came out ahead. "Maybe they should be thanking their lucky stars that the Eagles jump them to take Makai Lemon," Kostos said Monday on Dave Dameshek's Football America! , crediting a rebuilt right side of the line for a start that has Pittsburgh atop the AFC North at 6-2.
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Max Iheanachor has held up at right tackle
Nov 1, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy seen on the sideline during the first quarter of an NFL game against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
Sunday showed what Kostos meant. The Steelers ran for 200 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-6 win over the Browns at Acrisure Stadium. Jaylen Warren tied his career high with 143 rushing yards, and Rico Dowdle added 56 yards and a score, per ESPN's recap . "We play the game the right way on both sides of the ball up front, and that's what we want as our identity," right guard Brock Hoffman said.
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Iheanachor hasn't been dominant. His 64.1 overall grade ranks 45th among 69 qualified tackles, and he has allowed 17 pressures and five sacks in 399 snaps, according to PFF . For a rookie starting at right tackle on a first-place team, that's a workable floor, and it has helped Warren put together a season that earned national attention after the rout.
Lemon has had a tougher first year. He has 25 catches on 34 targets for 194 yards and one touchdown for the 2-6 Eagles, and his 61.0 grade ranks 66th among 78 receivers, per PFF . Mike McCarthy sounded at peace with the outcome the next day. "I think the good lord always works his magic, and Max is with us," McCarthy said, per Bleacher Report .
The receiver room is still the question. The Steelers have a passing-game problem their run game can't cover forever, and we've laid out their best wide receiver trade targets before the Nov. 10 deadline. After the bye, Pittsburgh visits Cincinnati on Sunday Night Football, then goes to Philadelphia on Nov. 22, where Lemon and Iheanachor will share a field for the first time.
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This story was originally published by Athlon on Nov 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
