PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The Steelers had one tackle position set for 2026 and they drafted a player who also plays that right tackle position selecting Max Iheanachor in the first round. After GM Omar Khan and head coach Mike McCarthy discussed position flexibility and also getting the nod about the pick from Hines Ward.
Iheanachor just started playing football in college, beginning at a JUCO and then three years at Arizona State, starting 26 games at right tackle the last two seasons. Troy Fautanu started every game at right tackle last year for the Steelers in his first full season in the NFL.
“Position flex is very, very important,” said Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy. “The second, third, center, fourth tackle, those are all important conversations. Those are the conversations you have internally. Any time I know, from my perspective as a coach in the evaluation process, I hold position flex, the value of it very high.”
That probably speaks more to Fautanu moving to left tackle, where he was First-Team All-Pac 12 and Third-Team All-American at Washington.
Khan said it gives them a lot of options on the offensive line, admitting the health of 2025 starting left tackle for 12 games Broderick Jones is a concern.
Max Iheanachor reacts to being picked by Steelers
“We're off to a heck of a start for our offensive line room,” Khan said. “Position flex is huge. It's bigger than ever in the NFL. 17 games is real. And to add Max to this group is -- I can't tell you how excited we are with the pick.”
“Our offensive line coaches are bouncing off the wall,” McCarthy said. “You never have enough big men up front. He is a great fit for us. Just a stud of a young man.”
“Throughout the process, you heard about him a little bit early and he just kept growing and growing and growing through the evaluation. As we really winded down this week, frankly just kept climbing up our board. We are just real excited that he was there.”
Khan said it was really at the Steelers February draft meetings after the scouts came back from the Senior Bowl is where Iheanachor grabbed their attention. It only increased after the NFL Combine and interactions they had with him. The Steelers GM said his name just kept rising on their boards.
“He's just getting started,” Khan said. “He hasn't played a lot of football in his life, and he's only going to get better.”
Steelers draft tackle for 3rd time in 4 years
Familiar plug
Iheanachor played at Arizona State where Steelers all-time leading receiver Hines Ward is a wide receiver coach. Ward put in a good word for the new Steelers offensive tackle.
“I just got off the phone with Hines,” Khan said minutes after the pick. “He was so excited, so fired up for Max and for us. He said he’s a Steeler. You guys hear me talk about guys that are Steelers all the time, he said this guy is a Steeler.”
Iheanachor mainly right tackle in college, what Hines Ward said about him
Iheanachor mainly right tackle in college, what Hines Ward said about him
