On their home turf, the Pittsburgh Steelers brought out the theatrics for their first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. It was all so Steelers legend Jerome Bettis could announce the team was selecting Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor. Iheanachor was the sixth offensive tackle off the board and sure to be a polarizing prospect.
Here’s how Iheanachor fits on the Steelers roster.
Starter potential at tackle
Make no mistake, Iheanachor is a project player with very limited football experience. Where many of the offensive linemen who came off the board in the first round will be plug-and-play, Iheanachor is going to be brought along more slowly. But his ceiling is a high-level starter, so he could be ahead of several vets on the roster.
Broderick Jones’ replacement?
We have no idea if Jones will be ready to go at the start of the season and while General Manager Omar Khan downplayed the injury in his pre-draft presser, this pick tells a different story. Jones is set to hit free agency at the end of the 2026 season and this pick might be part of his replacement plan.
Forcing a position change for Troy Fautanu?
The Steelers most pressing need is left guard on the offensive line, so if the Steelers coaching staff thinks Iheanachor can be a rookie starter on the right side, it might mean the team kicks Fautanu in to guard to solidify the interior offensive line.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Where does OT Max Iheanachor fit on the Steelers roster?