Max Iheanachor, a 6-foot-5, 321-pound offensive tackle out of Arizona State, heard his name called by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the No. 21 overall pick on Thursday night at the NFL Draft in downtown Pittsburgh. The move gives the Steelers a long, athletic tackle for an offensive line that just watched veteran guard Isaac Seumalo walk in free agency and is still holding its breath over left tackle Broderick Jones after a season-ending neck injury. Iheanachor’s rise has been fast, considering he did not play organized football until 2021, and it spiked after a strong Senior Bowl week and eye-catching NFL Combine performance.
College résumé and honors
Iheanachor arrived at Arizona State in 2023 after two seasons at East Los Angeles College and started all 14 games at right tackle in 2024, earning All-Big 12 second-team honors and a Senior Bowl invitation, according to CBS Pittsburgh. Scouts pointed to a full season of tape and reps against Big 12 competition as a big reason he kept climbing draft boards through the spring.
Combine testing that turned heads
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Iheanachor checked in at 6-foot-5 and 321 pounds and ripped off a 4.91-second 40-yard dash, a 30.5-inch vertical jump, and a 9-foot-7 broad jump, numbers evaluators flagged as rare pop for a tackle that big. Those official measurements and testing results were part of a combine roundup that helped send his stock north, per CBS Sports.
Why Pittsburgh reached for him
The Steelers went for Iheanachor at No. 21 to shore up tackle depth and gamble on a developmental, high-upside blocker for a transition line, and they did it in front of their own fans with Pittsburgh serving as draft host. The choice came in the wake of Seumalo’s free agent exit and Jones’ season-ending neck injury, factors noted in coverage of the pick. For reporting on the selection and the local backdrop, see the Associated Press.
From JUCO to the first round
Iheanachor’s path is anything but typical. He first suited up in organized football at East Los Angeles College in 2021, then transferred to Arizona State and developed into a multi-year starter, according to Arizona State’s signing materials. That late start is a big part of why he is viewed as a traits-driven prospect, loaded with athletic upside but still needing technical polish as he makes the NFL jump. For more on his junior college background and transfer route, see Arizona State athletics.
How scouts grade him
Draft analysts slot Iheanachor as a high-ceiling, developmental tackle. Pro Football Focus handed him a solid 2025 grade and highlighted his growth in pass protection, while evaluators noted that his work at the Senior Bowl and Combine pushed him firmly into the first-round conversation. Detailed game grades and film notes are available at PFF, and scouting breakdowns of his pro projection have run in Sports Illustrated.
Next up, he joins a Steelers roster that will lean on both rookies and established veterans this summer, with Iheanachor expected to jump into meetings and on-field work at rookie minicamp and then training camp. For Pittsburgh, the pick is one more swing on youth and athleticism as the franchise keeps hammering away at its biggest offseason project: rebuilding the offensive line.
