The Philadelphia Eagles continue to showcase the success of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program through left tackle Jordan Mailata, widely regarded as its standout graduate.
After the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the franchise added another international prospect, defensive lineman Uar Bernard, who now gets the chance to train alongside Mailata while attempting to carve out a similar journey in professional football.
“It’s a dream come true for me because I’ve worked hard for this,” Bernard said Saturday after getting drafted by Philly. “I’ve not played football, but I’ve gone through some drills that made me believe that I’m going to get better every day. I thank God for everything. I thank God for life. I thank God for the opportunities he’s given to me to be drafted by the Eagles.”
The Philadelphia Eagles continue to showcase the success of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program through left tackle Jordan Mailata, widely regarded as its standout graduate.
After the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the franchise added another international prospect, defensive lineman Uar Bernard, who now gets the chance to train alongside Mailata while attempting to carve out a similar journey in professional football.
“It’s a dream come true for me because I’ve worked hard for this,” Bernard said Saturday after getting drafted by Philly. “I’ve not played football, but I’ve gone through some drills that made me believe that I’m going to get better every day. I thank God for everything. I thank God for life. I thank God for the opportunities he’s given to me to be drafted by the Eagles.”
Meanwhile, wide receiver Makai Lemon experienced a dramatic turn of events during the draft. While on the phone with the Pittsburgh Steelers and anticipating his selection, a second call altered his immediate future.
In a late move, the Philadelphia Eagles traded up to secure the USC standout, preventing Pittsburgh from completing the pick.
“I was definitely shocked,” Lemon said of the Eagles trading up to select him. “Definitely. I couldn’t be more happy that they did. I’m super blessed.”
Lemon had been preparing to hear his name called as the No. 21 overall pick when Eagles general manager Howie Roseman orchestrated a trade, moving up from No. 23 by striking a deal with the Dallas Cowboys at No. 20.
“It was the right time, the right team,” Lemon said, “and everything worked out just how it was supposed to be.”
Initially expecting to join a Pittsburgh receiving group that includes DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr., Lemon instead finds himself heading to Philadelphia, where he will line up alongside DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks and Marquise Brown. His unexpected draft experience may serve as preparation for the high-pressure environment in Philadelphia, particularly with expectations that he could eventually replace A.J. Brown.
Reports from Ian Rapoport indicate the Eagles are operating under the assumption that Brown could be traded, potentially after June 1.
Before that possibility unfolds, Philadelphia had already made its decisive move, contacting Lemon to confirm their intention after trading up.
“First, I answered the phone and it was the Steelers, and then my phone kept ringing. I look and it’s the Eagles,” Lemon said. “They traded up and they were going to pick me. I feel like everything happens 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 that I got.”
The delay in reaching Lemon added brief tension to the Eagles’ war room, according to Roseman.
“When we get on the clock, we immediately try to contact the player,” said Roseman, who further reinforced his reputation for aggressive draft maneuvering, reminiscent of his previous deal to acquire Brown from the Tennessee Titans.
“It took us a couple minutes to contact the player and get him on the phone. That hasn’t happened very often, so the clock got down a little lower than we would’ve liked but we were able to get in touch with him and obviously select him.”
Roseman declined to confirm whether he believed Pittsburgh would select Lemon, emphasizing instead that the Eagles acted decisively based on their draft board.
“We just felt like this was a player that we wanted to go up and get,” he said. “Just based on where our board was at that time, where we were picking, just felt like it made a lot of sense based on our board. Obviously, when you have a player that you like that’s ranked higher on your board than where you’re picking, you think at every pick that he’s gonna be selected. That’s just the way the draft is, you think everyone’s thinking the way that you are, and so certainly for us, we didn’t want to sit on our hands. We wanted to go get him, and so that’s why we made a trade.”
Day 1 of the 2026 draft delivered multiple surprises, including Carnell Tate going to the Tennessee Titans at No. 4, the Los Angeles Rams selecting quarterback Ty Simpson at No. 13, and Reuben Bain slipping to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 15.
Among those headline moments, Philadelphia’s strategic move to secure Lemon stands out as one of the most notable developments of the night.
