Steelers Legend Casey Hampton Seems Extremely Hesitant In Steelers' 2026 First-Round Pick

The Pittsburgh Steelers were widely speculated to take a wide receiver or an offensive guard in the 2026 NFL Draft early. However, shockingly, the team decided to go with a tackle with pick 21. The front office chose Arizona State University tackle Max Iheanachor. He's originally from Nigeria and played basketball and soccer as a kid. He quickly learned the game of football in junior college, and his size and footwork made him one of the premier tackle prospects in the recent draft. Tackles were flying off the board, and the Steelers took one whom they think they can develop into a superstar. 

Iheanachor was the sixth tackle taken in the draft. He was projected to be a late first-round or early second-round pick. The selection proved to be necessary, as the Steelers' starting left tackle in 2025, Broderick Jones, is dealing with an injury. Jones had a neck fusion and is making his way back; there's a huge level of uncertainty surrounding his status. His fifth-year option was recently declined. This will hopefully pave the way for Iheanachor to gain an opportunity either right away, or there will be a spot for him in 2027. 

Some fans and pundits were confused by this pick, purely based on Iheanachor's rawness as a prospect. He still has a lot to learn, but there's no question that his intangibles make him an intriguing prospect. However, on a recent episode of Deebo & Joe, Steelers legends James Harrison and Casey Hampton discussed the pick. Hampton seemed a little iffy on a project tackle at pick 21. 

"With the first-round pick, and I don't watch film, but with football only being played the last five years, that's a project. Just with me, I like with my first-round pick, I want that guy to be a guy. He [Iheanachor] can definitely develop to be a guy; he has all the intangibles, but I think there's gonna be some work to see how he develops and see how he's gonna be."

He is a project, and the Steelers know that. Pittsburgh's tackle room has some depth, and Iheanachor may not be a starter right away. Pittsburgh knows they want to win in the trenches, and making sure its first-round pick is up to snuff is priority number one. The organization has invested a lot of luxury draft capital on the offensive line over the past four drafts, with three of the four first-rounders being used on tackles. 

There's a lot that Iheanachor will have to work on to be considered elite. A lot of issues come from pass-blocking techniques and hand usage. NFL analyst Lance Zierlein outlined some of Iheanachor's weaknesses in his draft profile. 

"Hitch in his punch causes hands to ride outside the frame. Struggles with protection recognition against gaming fronts. Wide hands open him up for holding penalties. Needs better pad level to improve leverage as a drive blocker. Shoves second-level blocks instead of sticking and sustaining," Zierlein wrote. 

These are all things that can be refined by NFL coaching. The strengths will hopefully outweigh the weaknesses. His athleticism and ability to continue his improvement are evident. He looked dominant during the Senior Bowl, and the hope is that his game will translate to the Steelers' revamped offensive line. 

The Steelers Need To Take It Slow With Iheanachor

The Steelers need to make sure that Iheanachor gets the proper time to develop. He can't be thrown into the fire right away, unless they're that confident he's ready. However, the depth at tackle would allow Iheanachor to learn before making any starts. Pittsburgh has Jones, Dylan Cook, Troy Fautanu, and even someone like Spencer Anderson, who could play at tackle. The goal should be to allow Iheanachor to get as many quality reps as possible and let him grow as a player first. 

Hopefully, the Steelers will allow him to develop. While being a project, Iheanachor was a first-round pick for a reason. The 2026 season will tell a lot about the future of the Steelers' tackle room and the offensive line as a whole. 

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