Max Iheanachor may not win a starting job right away as a rookie, but that doesn’t mean that he won’t be on the field. The Steelers have a longstanding tradition of using extra offensive linemen, especially with young, up-and-coming draft picks. Spencer Anderson has been the most recent one in that role, but it really started with Mike Adams under Todd Haley.
Now, there’s some question over whether the Steelers will even use the tackle-eligible under Mike McCarthy. He has a preference for using a fullback, and they used a draft pick on one in Riley Nowakowski. But they used a fifth-round pick on Nowakowski and a first-round pick on Max Iheanachor.
That alone is sufficient incentive for the Steelers’ new coaching staff to keep the tackle-eligible role going if it means getting a first-round pick work who hasn’t quite cracked the starting lineup yet. They’ve done it with a number of linemen over the years, and it’s usually been successful.
“The previous coaching staff, how do they like to bring up their young guys? ‘Hey, let’s see if you can do this extra tackle stuff first. We’ll get you onto the field, we’ll see how you perform, and then when you’re ready, you’re gonna be the starter’”, Ray Fittipaldo said on the Steelers Collective. “If James Campen has a similar philosophy to the previous offensive line coaches, it very well might be Max Iheanachor. I wouldn’t be surprised if that happened. I think that’s actually a good way to introduce guys to the NFL, and especially guys you’re looking to get their feet wet, I think that’s a perfect way to do it”.
In an ideal scenario, the Steelers would watch Iheanachor win a starting job right away at right tackle. Given his lack of lifelong experience playing football, though, most seem to believe it will take some time. He may well prove the skeptics wrong, but if he doesn’t, there’s still a way for him to play.
And whether the Steelers feel compelled to use the tackle-eligible role may hinge on how quickly Max Iheanachor progresses. Now, even if he were to win the job, they could still use an extra blocker with Spencer Anderson (if he’s not the starting right guard), Dylan Cook, or especially Broderick Jones if he’s healthy (and, also, not starting).
That seems less the current coaching staff’s intention than the previous ones, though. When OL coach James Campen was asked about the team’s plans to use the extra lineman this year, he said, “Well, we have a fullback now”. But they also have a first-round tackle in Max Iheanachor they’ll want to play if he’s not starting. If that’s not enough motivation to break it out, nothing will be. And, of course, you can use a fullback and an extra lineman together.