Steelers' First-Round Pick Max Iheanachor Receives Massive Praise From Star Defender

The Pittsburgh Steelers' front office continued their trend of drafting trench players with their first-rounders when they selected Arizona State University tackle Max Iheanachor in the 2026 NFL Draft. The project tackle is the third offensive tackle in the last four years taken in the first round by Pittsburgh. The Steelers' brass hasn't been shy about addressing the rebuild on the line, and as many say, "you can never have too many linemen." The organization has taken that sentiment to heart. 

The Steelers' offensive line has transformed over the last few seasons. Through the draft, Pittsburgh has added some quality starters to the group. Iheanachor will have the chance to continue the trend. The Nigerian-born prospect just picked up football while in junior college. Now, a first-round pick, he's still a raw prospect. Luckily, the existing depth on the team will allow him to acclimate at a comfortable pace. Iheanachor won't be thrown into the fire right away, and that will allow him to learn from those around him. 

The rookie was credited for his footwork in college, with that ability coming from his soccer and basketball background. There is a lot to like with the former Sun Devil, including his size, the aforementioned footwork, and his hands. All of these things have caught the attention of recently-extended outside linebacker Nick Herbig, who recently gave a ton of praise to the rookie tackle. This was recently reported by Brian Batko and posted on the Steelers' website. 

"He's really talented," said outside linebacker Nick Herbig. "A guy that size who can move, has good hands — I've said this before, but I think playing tackle in the NFL as a rookie is one of the hardest things to do. It's just a different game. It's a man's game in there. It's just a different level of intensity, and I think he's handled it really well."

This amount of praise from the budding star edge rusher is huge. The Steelers have just gone through Organized Team Activities (OTAs), as well as minicamp, and have yet to put on full pads. Herbig however, has already seen Iheanachor's skill on display. The future of the right side of the Steelers' offensive line rests on Iheanachor, and this news is a positive sign. 

Pittsburgh currently has an interesting situation at right tackle, where Iheanachor will eventually play. With surprising starter Dylan Cook being the favorite for the spot, he faces possible competition from former first-round pick Broderick Jones. With these players having the edge over Iheanachor right now, he'll be able to wait, but neither of these guys is a long-term starter at right tackle for Pittsburgh, so that gives Iheanachor the go-ahead when his time has come. 

Steelers Need To Learn From The Jones Situation

Though Jones didn't start initially, he was thrown to the wolves at left tackle in Week 5 of his rookie year after the starter there got hurt. He then became the starting right tackle in Week 9 of the same year, where he remained for the remainder of the season. Jones then switched back to left tackle ahead of 2025, where he was originally drafted to play. The Steelers played him out of position for two years of his career. After moving back to the left, he steadily improved before a huge neck injury left him sidelined -- he is still nursing that injury. 

The key thing that the Steelers need to learn from that situation is that throwing a project tackle in, especially out of position, can change the trajectory of his career. Pittsburgh has plenty of depth; there's no need to put Iheanachor out there if he isn't ready. 

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