Steelers, Max Iheanachor Agree To Deal
The Steelers and first-round offensive tackle Max Iheanachor have agreed to a deal, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reports. Iheanachor, the 21st overall pick, will earn a fully guaranteed $20.69MM on his four-year pact.
The Steelers intended to use their top pick on former USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, whom they called beforehand. However, while the Steelers were on the phone with Lemon, he got a call from the Eagles. They moved up from 23rd to 20th in a trade with the Cowboys and drafted Lemon, leaving the Steelers to turn to their Plan B. They pivoted to Iheanachor, whom they expect to emerge as a long-term building block up front.
Iheanachor spent the past two-plus years as the starting right tackle at Arizona State, where he earned second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2025. There is a chance Iheanachor will end up as the Steelers’ left tackle down the road, especially if Broderick Jones leaves in free agency next year. For now, though, they plan to keep Iheanachor on the right side.
It is up in the air whether the 6-foot-6, 321-pound Iheanachor will step in as an immediate starter as a rookie. The Steelers are returning last year’s full-time RT starter, 2024 first-rounder Troy Fautanu, but he could be needed on the left side if Jones’ recovery from neck surgery keeps him out for the start of the season. Dylan Cook is also an in-house possibility to fill in for Jones. Cook is the only member of the quartet who was not a first-round pick (he was undrafted), which illustrates how much draft capital the Steelers have spent on the position in recent years. The Jones selection has not gone as planned, though, as the team declined his fifth-year option for 2027 last month.
Along with Iheanachor, the Steelers drafted nine other rookies this year. They now have seven of those players under contract. Here is the defending AFC North champions’ full list of picks:
- Round 1, No. 21: Max Iheanachor (T, Arizona State) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 47 (from Colts): Germie Bernard (WR, Alabama)
- Round 3, No. 76 (from Cowboys): Drew Allar (QB, Penn State)
- Round 3, No. 85: Daylen Everette (CB, Georgia) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 96 (from Seahawks): Gennings Dunker (G, Iowa) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 121: Kaden Wetjen (WR, Iowa) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 169 (from Rams via Chiefs): Riley Nowakowski (TE, Indiana) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 210 (from Rams via Chiefs): Gabe Rubio (DL, Notre Dame) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 224 (from Saints via Patriots): Robert Spears-Jennings (S, Oklahoma) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 230 (from Colts): Eli Heidenreich (RB, Navy)
Steelers’ Max Iheanachor To Begin Career At Right Tackle
Steelers first-round pick Max Iheanachor may take over as their starting left tackle one day, but it appears that will have to wait. Iheanachor revealed he will begin his NFL career at right tackle, according to Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show.
The right side is familiar territory for Iheanachor, who was Arizona State’s starting RT for the past two-plus years. On the heels of Iheanachor’s second-team All-Big 12 showing in 2025, the Steelers drafted him 21st overall. He was one of nine offensive linemen to come off the board in the first round. Guard Vega Ioane, who went 14th overall to the AFC North rival Ravens, is also a member of a large first-round O-line class. The Steelers “had an affinity for Ioane,” Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports, but there is no word on whether they tried to jump ahead of the Ravens for him.
In addition to the Ioane hypothetical, there is another first-round “what-if” centered on the Steelers. As those who follow the draft know, the team thought it was on the cusp of taking former USC wide receiver Makai Lemon at 21. Instead, the Eagles made a last-second trade-up to No. 20 to nab Lemon while he was on the phone with the Steelers. After ending up with Iheanachor with their top selection, the Steelers addressed their receiver need when they chose former Alabama standout Germie Bernard in the second round.
While Iheanachor could win the right tackle spot as a rookie, it is unclear who will man the left side. The job would belong to a healthy Broderick Jones, but his season-opening status is up in the air as he recovers from neck surgery. Pittsburgh declined Jones’ fifth-year option for 2027, meaning the former first-rounder could be entering his last season with the team. Iheanachor may be a candidate to replace Jones if he is off the Steelers’ roster a year from now. In the meantime, if Jones is not ready for Week 1, the Steelers could turn to Troy Fautanu, though Kaboly notes that is not a given. While Fautanu played left tackle at Washington, he has not lined up there during his two-year NFL career.
As the Steelers’ starting right tackle last season, Fautanu played 100% of offensive snaps. But if professional left tackle experience is a must, Dylan Cook could have a shot at the gig until Jones returns. Cook went undrafted back in 2022, though it took until last season for him to get on the field in the regular season. He played in six games and logged five starts, including a wild-card round loss to the Texans. Almost all of his snaps (346 of 348) came at left tackle. Although it was a relatively small sample of work, Pro Football Focus ranked Cook’s performance 20th among 84 qualified tackles.
Steelers Draft T Max Iheanachor At No. 21
With Broderick Jones not living up to his draft slot and battling a major injury, the Steelers are choosing a first-round tackle for the third time in four years.
Pittsburgh brought in Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor at No. 21 overall. This gives Pittsburgh some potential Jones insurance and a possible long-term option opposite RT Troy Fautanu. Iheanachor was one of nine offensive linemen (including seven tackles) chosen in Round 1 tonight.
This pick carried a major “what if?” component, with USC wide receiver Makai Lemon revealing the Steelers communicated to him an intent to draft him at No. 21. The intra-Pennsylvania development emerged after the Eagles traded up three spots (via the Cowboys) to vault in front of the Steelers at No. 20. Lemon went off the board soon after.
“Pittsburgh called me and I thought they were going to draft me and then the Eagles called at the same time,” Lemon said. “I guess it was meant to be. I’m super excited to be in Philly.”
Iheanachor will spend at least the early years of his career tied to a wide receiver, which is obviously not commonplace for a tackle, but big responsibilities may be coming early. Jones is recovering from neck fusion surgery, and a setback may or may not have occurred. And the 2023 first-round pick has not played especially well in stints at left and right tackle. A move to his natural LT spot did not yield desired results before the injury, and Pittsburgh will decline the Georgia alum’s fifth-year option. Iheanachor profiles as a successor option, though it will be interesting to see if Pittsburgh uses him more at right tackle — his primary college role — early behind Fautanu as he develops.
The Steelers were not among a host of teams who conducted “30” visits with the Nigeria native — who began his career at junior college — but they were linked to a possible first-round tackle. This was due in large part to Jones’ issues since being drafted. Pittsburgh had gone since the 1990s between first-round tackle picks prior to the Jones investment, but the team is now flooded with Round 1 options at this position as OTAs near.
Iheanachor earned second-team All-Big 12 acclaim last season. He primarily played right tackle with the Sun Devils but saw time on the blind side as well. With the Steelers stationing Fautanu at RT after his 2024 injury absence, an Iheanachor-at-LT experiment figures to gain traction soon.
“Position flex is huge,” Mike McCarthy said of his team’s first-round pick. “It’s bigger than ever in the NFL. Seventeen games is real. And to add Max to this group is – I can’t tell you how excited we are with the pick.”
Monroe Freeling, Max Iheanachor, Kadyn Proctor Rack Up Pre-Draft Visits
It is exceeding difficult to find high-quality offensive tackle play outside of the first round, so teams searching for starters in next week’s draft will have to prioritize the position early on.
Miami’s Francis Mauigoa seems to have locked up OT1 status. Behind him are Georgia’s Monroe Freeling, Western Michigan’s Max Iheanachor, and Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor, who are all expected to go in the first round.
Freeling, 21, has only one full season as a starter under his belt, and all of his starts have come at left tackle. He earned second-team All-SEC honors in 2025, but teams may still have to be patient with his development. Freeling previously visited the Chiefs and has also met with the Browns, Dolphins, and Rams, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Cleveland is searching for their next long-term left tackle, but with Dawand Jones already on the roster, they could allow Freeling to sit for a year as he gets his bearings in the NFL, if needed. Miami has Patrick Paul on the blind side, but right tackle Austin Jackson took a pay cut this offseason and is in the last year of his contract. Freeling would have a year to sit as he transitions to right tackle with the hopes of taking on the starting job in 2027. Los Angeles has a glaring hole at right tackle, but asking Freeling to switch as a rookie could be a tough task given his lack of experience. On the other hand, perhaps he is not so ingrained at the left tackle position and can quickly learn how to play on the right side.
Iheanachor may also need to develop in the pros. He had a long list of visits, including the 49ers, Bengals, Packers, Bears, Patriots, Eagles, Panthers, Ravens, Dolphins, Cardinals, and Bengals, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. The 49ers need to find a successor to Trent Williams, as do the Eagles to Lane Johnson. The Bears only re-signed Braxton Jones on a one-year deal, and the Cardinals do not have a clear RT starter right now. The Bengals, Panthers and Ravens seem to be set with their offensive tackles, but they all have one expensive, aging starter. They would be able to give Iheanachor time to season before he takes on starting duties.
Proctor was a three-year starter at Alabama, making him a potential fit for Detroit, who parted ways with longtime left tackle Taylor Decker this offseason. The Lions, met with Proctor during the pre-draft process, as did the 49ers, Browns, Dolphins, Eagles, and Cardinals, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
For the Eagles specifically, The Athletic’s Zach Berman believes that Freeling or Proctor would be their preference in the first round. This makes sense for a team that has invested heavily in SEC talent, particularly out of Georgia. But with the No. 23 pick, Philadelphia may have to trade up to ensure they secure one of their two desired prospects.
Texans Host Max Iheanachor, Blake Miller
Once again, the Texans have found themselves seeking improvements along the offensive line during an offseason. Houston has been busy on that front so far, but more additions could be coming via the draft.
Some of the top offensive tackle prospects in the 2026 class have been on the Texans’ radar leading up to the draft. Kadyn Proctor visited the team, although he may well be off the board by the time Houston selects at No. 28. Other T options have received a look more recently.
Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports Arizona State product Max Iheanachor is among the prospects who have visited the Texans. Iheanachor has drawn widespread interest during the pre-draft process, which comes as little surprise given his status as a potential first-rounder. The 35th-ranked player on the board for NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah was a latecomer to football, only beginning to play the game in junior college. After two seasons in that situation, Iheanachor had a three-year career with the Sun Devils, earning All-Big 12 honors in 2025.
The Texans have also hosted Clemson tackle Blake Miller, per Wilson. Miller racked up 54 starts with the Tigers, operating as a mainstay at the right tackle spot over that span. After earning first-team All-ACC honors in each of the past two years, he will be counted on to be a key contributor up front in the NFL. Solidifying either tackle spot would be imperative for a Houston team looking to break through in the playoffs while building around quarterback C.J. Stroud and Co.
The Texans have re-signed three offensive linemen this spring, including veteran Trent Brown. Houston also added Braden Smith in free agency, giving the team a pair of experienced right tackle options. Adding younger depth at that spot (not to mention someone capable of potentially handling work on the blindside) would still be a viable approach, though. It will be interesting to see if Iheanachor or Miller wind up being selected by the Texans if they are available when the team is first on the clock.