Analyzing Steelers 2026 First-Round Pick Max Iheanachor - The Ascending Traits
- Kelly Anozie
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
Not every football story begins the same way.
For Maxwell Iheanachor, it started in Nigeria, where the sport most people know is soccer. At 13, he moved to California and attended King/Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles. There, he excelled in both soccer and basketball. But when it was all said and done, he found himself at East Los Angeles College—where he picked up a sport he had never played before: football.
What stands out about Iheanachor is how quickly he absorbed the game despite his inexperience. His first year of organized football came in 2022. Even then, head coach Bobby Godinez recognized his potential—not just his height and frame, but the raw talent and unique upside he carried.
Iheanachor enrolled at Arizona State the following January. Injuries limited him to five starts that season, four of them at right tackle. The next year, fully healthy, he started all 14 games at right tackle and logged significant offensive snaps for the Sun Devils. He helped anchor a line that turned running back Cam Skattebo into a household name and earned a zone‑blocking run grade of 78.1. His final season at ASU earned him Second‑Team All‑Big 12 honors. Across 484 pass‑blocking snaps, he didn’t surrender a single sack in his 12 starts.
For many, Iheanachor remained under the radar—until his breakout performance at this year’s Senior Bowl. Few prospects rose as sharply as he did this offseason, and with good reason. On tape, he’s still raw, but the growth he’s shown in such a short time is remarkable. His fundamentals have taken a major leap since his last snap at Arizona State, and his trajectory suggests he’s only getting started.
Lateral Movement (Athleticism)
One of the core prerequisites for an NFL tackle is athleticism, and that’s an area where Iheanachor clearly excels. His movement skills show up most prominently in his pass sets, where he consistently uses his lateral quickness to seal off the edge and deny rushers space to work. His foot speed and fluidity are obvious carryovers from his soccer and basketball background, and he leverages that multi‑sport agility with confidence.
One clear example comes from this pass rep against Arizona. Off the snap, Iheanachor explodes out of his stance and immediately frames the rusher, giving the Wildcats’ linebacker almost no space to threaten the edge. He lands his hands quickly inside the frame and uses his lateral footwork to stay in phase and control the defender’s path. Even when the linebacker tries to long‑arm him with his right hand, Iheanachor anchors comfortably and completely shuts down the rush.
Pass-Protection Details
Iheanachor’s overall pass‑protection profile is still developing, but the trajectory is promising. His pad level has tightened considerably, allowing him to anchor more efficiently and maintain leverage through contact—something that stood out during one-on-ones at the Senior Bowl. His hand carriage and strike timing have also improved; he’s no longer flaring his hands outside the frame as frequently as he did in 2025, reducing the likelihood of grabs and penalties.
In this clip against Texas Tech, Iheanachor draws a tough assignment: matching up with David Bailey, one of the nation’s premier pass rushers and the second overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Overall, Iheanachor holds his own, though not without a few technical lapses.
He fires out of his stance and quickly establishes position on Bailey, but his pad level comes up a bit high, allowing Bailey to work underneath his pads and generate early displacement. Even so, Iheanachor recovers by getting his hands on him and using his play strength to drop a firm anchor and ultimately win the rep. You could argue he should have delivered an initial strike rather than letting Bailey land first contact, but Iheanachor is one of those rare tackles who can still win a rep without being overly aggressive, trusting his balance and control to neutralize the defender’s move.
Physicality
Without question, Iheanachor’s physicality is the defining trait of his game. Whether in pass protection or run blocking, he consistently uses his size and natural strength to overwhelm opposing defenders. Our first two examples highlighted how that power shows up in pass protection; in this next clip, we see how effectively he applies that same physicality as a run blocker.
This example against Mississippi State highlights a first‑down run by Arizona State running back Raleek Brown. The most striking element is the massive lane created on the right side—courtesy of Iheanachor, who drives the Bulldogs’ interior defensive lineman back several yards with ease. Despite standing 6'6", he maintains impressively low pad level, gets underneath the defender’s pads, and uses his lower‑body power to generate displacement. It’s textbook run blocking and a clear showcase of his functional strength.
Iheanachor’s film reflects a prospect still early in his developmental arc, but the foundation is undeniably strong. His lateral agility, improving pass‑pro mechanics, and overwhelming functional strength give him a toolkit that continues to expand with every rep. When paired with the steep year‑over‑year growth he’s already shown, it’s clear his ceiling extends well beyond where he is today. For a player who entered the sport late, his progress is remarkable—and his projection even more intriguing.
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