The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Arizona State University tackle Max Iheanachor with the 21st pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. Iheanachor was selected after a controversial draft night moment, where the Steelers' front office called prospect Makai Lemon, but were jumped in the order due to a trade up. Pittsburgh ended up with a much-needed offensive lineman of the future. While Iheanachor is considered a project, the team's offensive line depth will allow him to grow and earn the spot when he's ready.
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Steelers' Art Rooney II shakes hands with 2026 first-round pick Max Iheanachor.
Iheanachor starting playing football in junior college after spending most of his life playing soccer and basketball. He moved to the United States from Nigeria and was introduced to American football later in life than many of the other prospects in the draft. His footwork from those sports is apparent in his movement, and his size and strength were put on display against some of the rookie class's best edge rushers while he was a Sun Devil. He's a work in progress based on just his short time playing football, but he has the intangibles to be an effective NFL tackle.
Iheanachor was not a player that many saw the Steelers taking, but tackles were flying off the board on Day 1. Pittsburgh had a sudden need for a tackle after starting left tackle Broderick Jones, who is coming off a major neck surgery. The team recently declined Jones' fifth-year option, making Iheanachor appear to be the tackle of the future. General Manager Omar Khan expressed his excitement for the team's future with Iheanachor on a segment of the Deebo & Joe podcast, which features former Steelers defenders James Harrison and Joe Haden.
"Awesome. He's one of us. He's great. The thing about him is just the upside. So, similar to a bunch of other guys we drafted, they just won in the spring. They passed every test throughout the process. The Senior Bowl, the [NFL] Combine, the interviews, their Pro Days. He was one of those guys. It just felt right. I'm excited for what the future holds for him," Khan said.
Iheanachor's draft stock rose quickly throughout the spring pre-draft activities. At the Senior Bowl, he dominated some of the nation's best edge rushers in one-on-one drills. Originally thought of more as a Day 2 pick, after his performances in the spring, he was quickly considered more of a late first-round pick. The Steelers selected him right in that range and will have a new young tackle protecting the quarterback's blindside.
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Former Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.
The Steelers' offensive line combination is still a question mark. While it's still too early to tell if Iheanachor will start right away, based on rookie minicamp, he will line up on the right side. This will allow him to stay on the same side he played in college, which will be crucial in his development. Pittsburgh has been a culprit in hindering its linemen's growth by switching them to positions they don't have much experience in; one of the cases is with Jones.
While Iheanachor has a ton of work to do, his general manager and coaches have confidence that he can be a mainstay on the line. He'll need to fine-tune some areas of his game, like his wide hands, which created some holding penalties in college. His punch needs some work, especially against quick NFL edge rushers. However, a lot of these things can be worked on throughout offseason activities.
The Steelers Can't Keep Making The Same Mistake
As mentioned before, Pittsburgh has seemingly stunted the growth of some of their young offensive linemen in recent years by playing them out of position right away. Another thing they've done is start an obvious project lineman too quickly. Iheanachor is widely known for being a player who has a ton of upside, but will need some time to unlock his potential.
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Steelers' Max Iheanachor working out during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.
Pittsburgh will have to find a way to get Iheanachor involved, but not put a lot of pressure on him. This could be as a swing tackle to start. The team could be confident in him right away, but he might be better off learning and taking it all in initially in a depth role.
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