Steelers OT Max Iheanachor earned his spot during Senior Bowl

[ASFN Admin]

The Pittsburgh Steelers spent the No. 21 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft on Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor. The selection itself was met with mixed reviews, especially after all the drama surrounding the team and its original desire for wide receiver Makai Lemon. But Iheanachor ended up being the pick and most pundits, especially those who played can't say enough good things about Iheanachor and his potential.

All that potential was realized during the Senior Bowl when Iheanachor showed up and won nearly every rep against the top edge rushers in the country. How far up did Iheanachor climb on draft boards? According to most experts, Iheanachor went into the Senior Bowl as a third-round prospect but made a huge leap thanks to that week of practice.

Senior Bowl shared this on social media, showing just how his strong week paid off for him. According to their math, if Iheanachor had gone in the third round, Iheanachor would have signed a four-year contract with a total value of something in the area of $7.385 million. But his contract with the Steelers is going to be a four-year deal with a value of $19.64 million.

Return on investment

From a projected 3rd rounder to the 21st overall pick.
Mobile made the difference.@maxissnicee71 | @Steelers | @ASUFootball#TheDraftStartsInMobilepic.twitter.com/G0Bn9YaXdd

— Panini Senior Bowl (@seniorbowl) April 28, 2026

This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers OT Max Iheanachor earned his spot during Senior Bowl

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