In the new episode of " Forging Steel ," which is produced by the Pittsburgh Steelers , general manager Omar Khan peeled back the curtain on why the Steelers selected offensive tackle Max Iheanachor at 21st overall.
"Max really won the spring for us: full process starting with the Senior Bowl to the [NFL Scouting Combine] in April, and the zooms and the interviews," Khan said. "He just really won the spring and grew on us, and [we] got to know him a little bit better and realized quickly that he was a Steeler and our type of player."
Born in Nigeria, Iheanachor moved to Compton when he was 13 years old. He did not play football until he enrolled at East Los Angeles College . He grew up playing soccer and basketball.
Iheanachor, who stands at 6-foot-6, 321 pounds, has 33 7-8-inch arms and nine-inch hands. He recorded a 4.91-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, which was among the fastest for tackles.
Iheanachor has an impressive blend of size and athletic ability. He's credited with having elite lateral quickness and body control, making him an ideal fit for an outside-zone scheme. He scored a 9.86 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 24 out of 1645 OT from 1987 to 2026.
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie offensive tackle Max Iheanachor at practice on May 18m 2026. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Iheanachor was named second-team All-Big 12 Conference in 2025. He started 12 games at right tackle. In 2024, he started all 14 games at right tackle.
Iheanachor played three seasons at Arizona State. He played his first two years of college ball at JUCO East Los Angeles College.
Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy raved about Iheanachor during an interview with Adam Schien of Mad Dog Sports Radio .
"If there's an offensive lineman that was meant to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it's definitely Max. His skill set, to me, that jumps off the tape at you," McCarthy said in April. "He's definitely built for this. You look at his background, his soccer background, you could see it, just with his versatility. Both in pass pro, and run blocking. When he gets his hands on you, he sticks. And he does a really good job of reacting to second and third reactions. So, I think he has a very, very bright future. We're really excited to have him."
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Omar Khan Peels Back the Curtain on Why Steelers Selected Max Iheanachor
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