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The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor with the 21st pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday.

One of the best stories in the draft, Iheanachor (who moved to Compton, Calif., from his native Nigeria at age 13) did not play a snap of high school football. An explosive, quick and balanced 6-foot-6, 320-pounder, Iheanachor was a terrific prep basketball player who first tried football in 2021 at East Los Angeles College. By 2023, he was Arizona State’s starting right tackle.

Physically, Iheanachor is up there with Spencer Fano and Monroe Freeling among the most athletic offensive linemen in this draft. He flashes good power in the run game, fast hands and the ability to handle twitchy rushers off the edge. If you squint, you can see hints of Penei Sewell — the player after whom he models his game.

Iheanachor has a long way to go, though, as he’s still more flash than substance from a consistency standpoint. His rookie year could be up and down, but long-term, he could be a high-level starting NFL right tackle.

‘The Beast’ breakdown

Iheanachor ranked No. 33 on Dane Brugler’s top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:

“With his proportionate thickness and movement skills, Iheanachor passes the eye test with flying colors. Having grown up playing soccer and basketball, he has fluid footwork and body control in his pass sets, although he can do a better job governing his quickness to avoid spacing issues. The lack of polish in his hands leads to errant placement (flagged six times for holding in 2025) and catching too much contact. He is rangy as a run blocker and is improving his finishing toughness.

“Iheanachor is still learning how to refine his talent on a more consistent basis, but his traits (athletic build, balanced quickness, play strength) form an exciting foundation for a future starting right tackle. He is an ascending player, although he might require a ‘redshirt’ year — and a patient coaching staff — as he continues to develop.”

Scott Dochterman grades the pick

For the third time in four years, the Steelers used a first-round pick on an offensive tackle. Is this an admission that the Steelers whiffed on Broderick Jones in 2023? You have to read it that way. Iheanachor has plenty of talent but is really raw. If the Steelers are patient, he could be a real find. I’m not sure how much he helps right away, however.

Born in Nigeria, Iheanachor (6-6, 321) moved to the United States at age 13 and first started playing football after graduating from high school in 2021. He spent two seasons at East Los Angeles College before earning a scholarship to Arizona State, where Iheanachor started 31 games as a right tackle. He was a second-team All-Big 12 offensive lineman last year. Grade: B-minus

Mike Sando’s assessment

The Steelers have now used first-round picks on offensive tackles three times in four drafts under GM Omar Khan:

• 2026: Max Iheanachor (No. 21)
• 2024: Troy Fautanu (20)
• 2023: Broderick Jones (14)

That’s about 950 pounds of offensive tackles in three drafts. Jones’ health is a question mark, one reason for the pick this year.

How he fits

The Steelers looked like they were a guard away from completing their transformation in the trenches just a few months ago. However, after Jones sustained a neck injury and then underwent spinal fusion surgery, the tackle position re-entered the conversation. This pick shows a clear commitment to the offensive line. Even after sustaining a setback, Pittsburgh remains motivated to turn that into a dominant and stable position group. — Mike DeFabo, Steelers beat writer

Depth-chart impact

How bad is Jones’ injury? Omar Khan acknowledged at the NFL Scouting Combine that there’s no guarantee Jones will be healthy this season. On Thursday, the GM said, “sure, that’s a little bit of a concern.” Beyond the injury itself, Jones will also have to regain the necessary strength to get on the field. Iheanachor could be in the starting lineup somewhere as soon as Week 1, but that might require some shuffling on the offensive line, as Iheanachor only played right tackle at Arizona State. The ripple effect might be that Troy Fautanu flips to left tackle. Or if Jones does regain his health in time to play early this season, perhaps Fautanu moves to guard. The Steelers have a lot to sort out up front. — DeFabo

They also could have picked …

After the Philadelphia Eagles jumped to No. 20 to select Steelers pre-draft visitor Makai Lemon, a number of talented receivers were still on the board, including Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr., Washington’s Denzel Boston and Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion. They also could have gone with a defensive back like Tennessee corner Jermod McCoy, Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman or Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. — DeFabo

Fast evaluation

When a team drafts an offensive lineman in the first round, it’s not a flashy move, but the hope is that the decision pays dividends in the long run. That hasn’t yet happened after Jones struggled to find his footing and then endured his injury. After all these early-round picks on the offensive line, the young core will need to become dominant sooner rather than later. — DeFabo