Nigeria-born first-round tackle the Steelers drafted to anchor their line of the future.
Max Iheanachor is an offensive tackle out of Arizona State with one of the more unusual backgrounds in his draft class, having come to football late after growing up playing soccer. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Path to the league
Born in Nigeria, Iheanachor moved to California at 13 and did not play organized football until 2021 at East Los Angeles College, a junior college. He spent two seasons there before enrolling at Arizona State in 2023, then broke out in 2024 by starting all 14 games at right tackle and grading as the team's best offensive lineman.
Career highlights
In his final college season, Iheanachor did not allow a sack across 484 pass-blocking snaps and impressed at the Senior Bowl, the NFL Scouting Combine, and Arizona State's pro day. The Pittsburgh Steelers, under new head coach Mike McCarthy, selected him 21st overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
2025 season
Iheanachor played his final college season at Arizona State in 2025 before declaring for the draft. He arrived in Pittsburgh as a 2026 first-round pick, with coaches noting his upside despite the relatively short time he has played the sport.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Max Iheanachor
- ESPN: Max Iheanachor player page
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Offensive Tackle
- Group
- offense
- College
- Arizona State
- Hometown
- Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Age
- 22
- Status
- active
