Pittsburgh Steelers draft Max Iheanachor with 21st pick in NFL Draft
The Pittsburgh Steelers have selected offensive tackle Max Iheanachor from Arizona State with the 21st overall pick in the NFL Draft to address injury concerns.
Former running back Jerome Bettis announced the unexpected first-round pick to a home crowd twirling ‘Terrible Towels’ in Pittsburgh on Thursday night.
The host franchise opted to reinforce their protection after the Philadelphia Eagles traded ahead of them to secure wide receiver Makai Lemon.
Addressing offensive line uncertainty
General manager Omar Khan admitted the organisation trusted their draft board after the available receiver options diminished.
“You trust your board, but the way it shook out, it brought us to tackle, and it was the right pick for us,” Khan said.
This marks the third time in four seasons that the six-time Super Bowl champions have used their opening selection on an offensive tackle.
Khan previously traded up for Georgia’s Broderick Jones in 2023, before drafting Washington product Troy Fautanu the following year.
However, Jones is currently recovering from a season-ending neck injury and subsequent surgery, leaving his immediate future murky.
Untapped potential from the Sun Devils
Head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed the coaching staff recently held a video call with the Arizona State prospect.
The highly-rated rookie started playing American football relatively late in life, having previously focused on soccer and basketball.
“His biggest thing when you watch lineman play, you want to see him strike and stick,” McCarthy explained.
The Pittsburgh head coach added that the rookie’s balance and footwork stood out to the scouting department during evaluating sessions.
The promising blocker spent two seasons at East Los Angeles College before transferring to the Sun Devils in 2023.
He secured the full-time starting right tackle role in 2024, demonstrating the positional flexibility that appealed to the Steelers’ front office.
Khan remains confident that the team’s newest addition possesses significant room for athletic growth.
“He hasn’t played a lot of football in his life, and he’s only going to get better.”