After the Pittsburgh Steelers missed out on Makai Lemon, the fan base didn’t receive Max Iheanachor’s selection well. But since then, many analysts have chimed in with support for the young offensive tackle. Iheanachor’s latest fan is a former NFL offensive lineman himself, Mark Schlereth.
“I loved the Steelers getting Max Iheanachor. So, he was a guy that was probably rated a little bit lower as an offensive lineman, that came to the Senior Bowl and dispensed justice. And he just fits. He feels like a Pittsburgh Steeler guy,” Schlereth said Monday on his Stinkin’ Truth podcast.
Iheanachor was one of many first-round offensive line talents from this draft class. And the Steelers picked him towards the end of an offensive line run during the first round. Before Iheanachor, six linemen came off the board: Spencer Fano, Francis Mauigoa, Kadyn Proctor, Olaivavega Ioane, Blake Miller, and Monroe Freeling.
Although they’re all talented prospects, some think Iheanachor could be better than all of them. Schlereth isn’t necessarily saying as much, but he’s right to be excited about the young tackle.
There’s always an intriguing upside to players who are so new to the sport. Max Iheanachor didn’t touch a football field until 2021. In a short time, he went from a junior college to being a regular starter at Arizona State, where he performed very well. He moves fluidly for his large size, and because he’s new to football, he doesn’t have many bad habits drilled into his game.
However, his newness means he’ll also be a bit of a project. Some are wary about it, for good reason. He doesn’t understand many aspects of the position, like hand placement, timing, and general awareness, quite as well as other tackles in this class. With Broderick Jones still under contract for one more year, Iheanachor might not be tasked with playing time too soon. But that also means the Steelers’ first-round pick may not make as much of an impact in year one.
In the long run, though, that’s not a bad thing. The Steelers did well to select a player with more upside than most of the draft class. Now, it’s their job to develop him correctly, which they may or may not. But Schlereth certainly thinks the Steelers made the right decision in selecting Max Iheanachor.