The Pittsburgh Steelers had a rough first night of the 2026 NFL Draft. They had already called wide receiver Makai Lemon to select him with the 21st overall pick, but the Philadelphia Eagles then completed a trade with the Dallas Cowboys to jump Pittsburgh and drafted the young wideout instead. This led to Pittsburgh drafting offensive tackle Max Iheanachor, who is viewed as a raw prospect with elite traits. He has not been playing football for long, but there is a lot of hope that he can turn into a great tackle in the NFL.
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Steelers' Max Iheanachor on stage during the third day of the 2026 NFL Draft.
This is an awkward situation as Iheanachor now knows he was not Pittsburgh's first option, but the team is still very excited about the offensive tackle joining the franchise. Pittsburgh has had some question marks on the left side of the offensive line due to Broderick Jones' health, and there is a chance he won't be ready by training camp. This could lead to Troy Fautanu switching to left tackle and Iheanachor starting at right, or vice versa. Head Coach Mike McCarthy went on 105.9 The X on Tuesday, and he was asked about Iheanachor and whether or not the lineman is viewed as a project, or as a player that could start right away.
"He looks like he is plug and play," McCarthy said. "We've all seen the video, and you can just see his climb. I think a lot of times as a coach, the coaching staff, the season is over and you are later to the game as far as getting ready for the draft. Then on top of that, being a new staff, being a new head coach, hiring a staff, but Max was somebody that the longer the process went, we did a Zoom with him last week, that was kind of the icing on the cake. The personnel department was very high on him. I think he had them at the Senior Bowl. He definitely is someone that's on the rise. Seeing him in person, I think you're going to be very, very impressed with him."
McCarthy said that Iheanachor looks like he can start right away if he needed. Obviously, this will be confirmed after a convincing training camp. The organization has loved the tackle ever since the Senior Bowl, and it sounds like he will get a chance to start sometime early on in the season.
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Arizona State offensive lineman Max Iheanachor displays the footwork and leverage that made him a standout prospect during his appearance at the 2026 Senior Bowl.
The excitement surrounding Iheanachor and the selection of him in general is bad news for a few parties. One is obviously Jones, although he cannot control a lot of what is going on as he fights to get back from a neck injury that caused him to miss the last chunk of the 2025 season. He had seemed to finally make some progress, but that was all cut off once he got hurt. The organization has to decide on his fifth-year option soon, and it should be assumed that it will be declined.
Dylan Cook is another player that is going to be impacted by the selection of Iheanachor. He filled in for Jones at left tackle at the end of 2025 season, and he impressed and performed better than anyone expected. It is a small sample size, so the organization couldn't just go into 2026 with him as the starter.
Steelers Will Have Some Choices To Make When It Comes To Tackles
The two tackle spots are up in the air for the 2026 season. The only thing that is known is that Fautanu will be starting. Will it be at left tackle or right tackle is the question. He played well at right tackle during the 2025 season, but he was a left tackle in college.
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Former University of Washington offensive tackle Troy Fautanu gets ready to block for quarterback Michael Penix Jr. during a collegiate football game.
Iheanachor was a right tackle in college. It might make the most sense to slide Fautanu to the left while inserting Iheanachor on the right side, but it is all just a guessing game at this point.
What do you think about McCarthy's comments on Iheanachor? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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