When the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Max Iheanachor with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, fans were itching to learn more about this young man from Nigeria. Iheanachor only started playing football in the summer of 2021, and less than five years later, he showcased enough talent to become a first-round pick.
So, who could Iheanachor's game resemble at the next level, and what might the Steelers be getting in this raw, high-upside offensive tackle?
Every year after the NFL Draft, I dive into each of the Steelers' top selections. Based on game film, strengths and weaknesses, size and athletic profile, and production, I identify high-end, low-end, and most likely NFL player comparisons.
These help fans get a sense of what a player could be if he reaches his ceiling, what his floor could be at the pro level, and what the team is most likely to get in this player. Here are my NFL comps for Max Iheanachor.
Pittsburgh Steelers fans should be intrigued by NFL comps for Max Iheanachor
High-end NFL comp: Darnell Wright
A member of the 2023 draft class, Darnell Wright has been everything for the Chicago Bears that the Steelers hoped Broderick Jones would be in Pittsburgh. The Tennessee product had an impressive blend of size and movement skills, with the anchoring strength to stall would-be pass rushers attempting to convert speed to power.
At 6'5 1/8'' and 333 pounds, Wright has a bit more mass to his frame than Iheanachor (6'5 7/8'', 321), but both tackles are remarkable athletes who have rapid feet in pass protection despite their big frames. Wright has taken major strides since his rookie season, and his overall performance jumped in his second NFL season.
Wright was already an impressive pass protector before being drafted, but he learned to be just as effective in the run game through coaching and development. If Iheanachor's development goes well, we could see a similar spike in performance by his second season with the Steelers.
Low-end NFL comp: Walker Little
Let's hope the floor doesn't completely fall out from under Max Iheanachor, but in a worst-case scenario, he could wind up taking a similar career path to Walker Little. The Stanford product was a second-round selection by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021, but never reached his expected ceiling.
At 6'7'' and 325 pounds, Little is taller than Iheanachor, but with very similar mass and length as the Steelers' 2026 first-round pick. Little has shown flashes at times of his combination of size and athleticism, but he hasn't made much progress since his rookie season.
Despite his inconsistencies, Little started 39 games while missing extensive time over his first five seasons due to injuries. If this is all the Steelers get out of Iheanachor, fans will be disappointed.
Most likely NFL comp: Anton Harrison
The most likely outcome for Iheanachor is that he could turn out to be a very similar player to another Jaguars tackle, Anton Harrison. Like Darnell Wright and Broderick Jones, Harrison was also a member of the 2023 draft class, and he has worked out well at right tackle.
At 6'4 1/4'' and 315 pounds, Harrison is smaller than Iheanachor, but they share close similarities in play style and athletic traits. Both Harrison and Iheanachor ran sub-five-second 40-yard dashes and are explosive out of their stance and in their kick slides in pass protection.
The big difference between Harrison and Wright is that Harrison hasn't shown much improvement as a run blocker early in his career. Based on Iheanachor's current strengths and weaknesses, it's easy to see him being a similar player to Harrison—a nimble-footed tackle who can pass protect well but is only average amongst his NFL tackle peers in the running game.
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