We know New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel isn’t afraid to get hands on with players, whether it be at a practice or a pro day. On Friday Vrabel found himself busy working with a projected first round pick at a position of need for the Patriots – Arizona State right tackle Max Iheanachor.

Vrabel was in attendance for the Sun Devils’ pro day on Friday. Multiple clips from reporters showed him coaching Iheanachor one-on-one, at one point even having the 6-foot-6, 321-pound Iheanachor get into a stance and hand fight with him. Multiple reporters at the event shared videos on social media of the two working together.

“It’s a blessing for me to be able to learn from him and him being hands-on, telling me what I need to work on,” Iheanachor said after the event when asked about working with Vrabel. “After the combine, I went in for a visit with them. Very familiar with that coaching staff and everybody.”

If the Patriots are interested in Iheanachor, that would most likely mean he’s in play with their top draft pick. He’s currently projected to be a top 40 selection who could go late in the first round or early in the second. Based on current projections, Iheanachor is the last of the group of top tackles, with none behind him grading in the top 100. The Patriots selection is Pick 31.

Iheanachor didn’t start playing football until he began college in 2021, having previously played basketball and soccer. His college career began at the JUCO level at East Los Angeles College, before he transferred to Arizona State for the 2023 season.

After arriving in Tempe Iheanachor started 31 games at right tackle for the Sun Devils, including the last two full seasons. Last year in 12 games he allowed 14 pressures without a sack, but was penalized eight times.

His athleticism and power stand out, and he’s continued to improve technically. As a player late to football his game does still need work, but with 35-year-old Morgan Moses still on the team the Patriots would have time to develop him. Moses’ contract contains no guaranteed money beyond 2026.

“Is offensive tackle a need? Vederian [Lowe’s] a free agent. Thayer [Munford] is a free agent and Morgan is 35 years old,” executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said at the NFL Combine this year. “He played awesome this year, but he’s 35 years old. So, tackle would be a need for our team.” Since then Lowe left in free agency, and Munford remains unsigned after undergoing knee surgery.

Given that, it does seem the Patriots do view tackle a need heading into the 2026 NFL Draft. Does that need rise to the level of investing a first-round pick? If they’re interested in Iheanachor, that would suggest they’re at least considering it.

It’s nothing new for Vrabel to go hands-on with a prospect during a pre-draft workout. After the draft last year, first-round pick left tackle Will Campbell shared that Vrabel brought his own pads and took reps for 60-90 minutes at a workout last year.