Ben Roethlisberger has Mixed Feelings about Steelers 2026 First Round Draft Pick
The Steelers selected offensive tackle Max Iheanachor in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. At six-foot-six and 321 pounds, he has a good physical stature for an offensive tackle. However, he didn’t begin playing football until college. He grew up playing soccer and basketball. Primarily playing right tackle for the Arizona State Sun Devils, and the Steelers have a need at left tackle.
Legendary Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger shared his thoughts about the Steelers’ first-round draft pick on Tuesday’s episode of his Footbahlin’ with Ben Roethlisberger podcast. “Where are they gonna put him?” he exclaimed. “I assume you’re gonna want him to play this year. I would hate for my first-round pick to be a project and be like, ‘In three to five years, he’s gonna be a stud.’ You do that with your second, third, and fourth.” The Steel City Legend continued, “Your first-round pick, you have to anticipate him coming in and playing right now. That makes me a little nervous about the project.” The Steelers legend defended, “I don’t hate the pick. I just wonder if there wasn’t a more seasoned guy. This may end up being one of those ones where it’s like, ‘Wow, what a steal. What a diamond in the rough.’”
While the Steelers will likely want the ascending draft prospect to start playing immediately, it could be a mistake. First, the team needs to decide which side he’ll end up playing. If he switches from right to left tackle, the 22-year-old may progress more slowly. However, it would prevent the team from unnecessarily shuffling around players.
Even though Iheanachor got a late start in football, he’s able to learn and catch on quickly. An NFL scout spoke to The Athletic about the former Sun Devil prior to the draft. He explained, “It’s not just the on-field development that’s encouraging. He learned to take hard coaching and to be accountable in his rehab. He’s no imposter trying to pretend he’s a football player.” After being drafted by the Steelers, the 22-year-old said, “I'm ready to learn. Whatever it is, I'm willing to do for the team, help this team win. Man, it's a great organization. Just ready to learn, ready to compete, get to work.” It will be interesting to see which side the Steelers decide to have the high-ceiling offensive tackle play and how he develops at the NFL level.
