Steelers' Max Iheanachor Has All-Pro Comparison

The Pittsburgh Steelers went a bit off the expected path when they selected tackle Max Iheanachor with the 21st overall pick in the most recent draft. Iheanachor was certainly a first-round talent, but with a ton of talented players on the board, another offensive lineman took many by surprise.

The Steelers won't be entrusting the right tackle job to Iheanachor immediately as a rookie, but they see him becoming an anchor for years to come opposite Troy Fautanu.

And that's understandable when you watch his tape in the NCAA. Iheanachor is big, athletic, nasty at the point of contact and an incredibly hard worker. It's reminiscent of many top tackles currently in the league, and the best-case scenario should have the Steelers incredibly excited about Iheanachor's trajectory.

Best-Case Scenario: Andrew Thomas

NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah recently compared Iheanachor to Houston Texans stalwart Tytus Howard, and that is a great example to start with. A player who feels just a bit closer, in my opinion, is New York Giants tackle Andrew Thomas.

I know the injury concerns with Thomas are among the first things to come to mind. The past three years have been nothing but disappointing for one of the most talented players at the position.

And that's what we need to remember about Thomas. Thomas was a brick wall for three years, allowing four sacks or fewer for three straight seasons between 2021 and 2023. That led to him being named to the Second Team All-Pro in 2022.

When he's on the field and healthy, Thomas has elite reach and athleticism, combining them with technical prowess. If Iheanachor can add that technical refinement to his game, he already has the rest of the traits needed to become a top-flight tackle in the NFL.