Steelers' Iheanachor Pick: Risk or Reward?

0:00On April 24, Pittsburgh Steelers shocked folks by grabbing Arizona State Tackle, Max Ihanakir, at the 21st overall pick in the draft. With Aaron Rodgers' future up in the air and top tackles already gone, they passed on safeties or wide receivers like Oregon's Dylan Theanaman or Washington's Denzel Boston. Instead, they doubled down on the line, betting on this big dude with superstar potential on paper. But here's the thing, Ihanakir was pegged as an early second round guy for most of the pre-draft buzz. Steelers could have traded down and still snagged him, but reaching here feels like a gamble. His hand placements all over the place. Space awareness lacks polish, and he doesn't read plays quick enough to start as a rookie right away. Fans and analysts are sidelying this hard, especially with Pittsburgh's track record. Browderick Jones hasn't lived up to hype and might miss time, while Troy Fautanu was just okay in his first couple years. Now the lines stack with unproven talent, like Ihanakir, Spencer Anderson, Zach Frazier, Mason McCormick, and Fautanu,

1:06protecting whatever QB they roll with. That past protection that held teams to just 1.9 sacks per game last year, 10th best in the league, could take a hit in 2026. Cleveland's Miles Garrett already had schemes to slow him down last season, but against this rookie crew, he's licking his chops. If they ease Aheonakir in, with Bet Dylan Cook, the pick looks even riskier. Bottom line, Aheonakir could ball out and make haters e-crow down the road, but right now it screams desperation in a stacked AFC North where everyone else leveled up. Steelers swung big, but did they swing smart?