University of Arizona State’s outgoing offensive tackle, Maxwell Iheanachor (aka Max) is relishing his emergence as number 21 pick by Pittsburgh Steelers in this year’s United State’s National Football League (NFL) draft.
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Sports247 reports that Iheanachor, who played student games for East Los Angeles College and Arizona State Sun Devils in USA’s National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), said he is happy with his emergence as a first round NFL draft pick.
Although he started playing American Football only after he joined East Los Angeles College, The Steelers’ newest addition to their NFL roster said he’s eager and determined to give his very best.
A report by Gerry Dulac of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette revealed, “The Steelers on Thursday used their top pick in the 2026 NFL draft on Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor, a move that indicates concerns about Broderick Jones.
“Iheanachor, listed at 6 feet 6 and 321 pounds, started 26 games at right tackle the past two seasons at Arizona State and was a second-team All-Big 12 Conference selection. At pick No. 21, he was the sixth tackle selected in the first round.”
An additional report by Ashish Mathur revealed that Iheanachor, who was also the first pick of The Steelers’ new era under Mike McCarthy, was drafted by Pittsburg because of Broderick Jones’ neck injury.
Iheanachor was an All-Big 12 Second Team selection in 2025, but NFL analyst, Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report gave his new team a “C” for their pick, adding: “The Pittsburgh Steelers felt almost forced into a corner with this selection after learning that left tackle, Broderick Jones suffered a setback with last season’s neck injury.
“Even a healthy version of Jones could have been replaced after a disappointing performance over the last two seasons. He likely won’t be replaced by Max Iheanachor, who is a natural right tackle and still learning the game.”
Iheanachor, who did not allow a single sack in last season’s college football games for Arizona State, across 484 pass-blocking snaps, said he had a meeting with The Steelers at the NFL Combine and a Zoom call with them afterwards.
The 22-year-old Nigerian-born rising star, who played soccer and basketball up till high school level, also admitted he didn’t know that he would end up in Pittsburgh, but said he is happy he did.
Sports247 gathered further that Iheanachor was born in Nigeria but moved to USA with his parents when he was 13 years old, following which he became a soccer student at King Drew Magnet High School, then switched to American Football in college.
