The Steelers took a hit in the moment when Makai Lemon slipped away, but the early part of his pro career has given Pittsburgh a reason to exhale.
Lemon, who ended up with the Eagles after they jumped in front of Pittsburgh’s pick, has been dealing with a nagging hamstring injury that has kept him off the field throughout camp. He has missed every practice, along with minicamp, OTAs and individual work on the side. For a rookie, that is a brutal way to start.
That matters even more because the Eagles are looking for Lemon to contribute early as they try to replace A.J. Brown.
Instead, he is already playing catch-up before the regular season even begins. If the hamstring keeps lingering, the setback could stretch longer and leave him even further behind.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, moved on by taking Max Iheanachor in the first round. The young offensive tackle looks like a possible long-term answer on the right side of the line, and he has at least been around the team through training camp and offseason work before a slight injury setback in the past week.
The contrast is hard to miss. The Steelers took the public embarrassment when Lemon was snatched away, and the story stuck around for weeks as a black eye for the franchise. But for now, the missed chance does not look nearly as painful as it did on draft night.
That does not mean Lemon won’t become the player many expected him to be. The article makes clear he still could develop into a top wide receiver for Philadelphia. But missing this much time, especially this early, can be a killer for a rookie campaign.
The Eagles may be willing to be patient because they need him. Pittsburgh would not have the same luxury if Lemon had landed there, especially with Aaron Rodgers presumably not wanting a rookie with no practice reps thrown into Week 1.
Things can change fast, and only time will tell whether the Steelers truly dodged a bullet. For now, though, the rough start to Lemon’s pro career has made that draft miss look a lot easier for Pittsburgh to live with.
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