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The Steelers decision to draft Max Iheanachor may have been influenced by Broderick Jones' injury status

The Pittsburgh Steelers made their first selection of the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday night, and it was a surprising one. With the No. 21 overall pick, the Steelers ended up selecting Arizona State Sun Devils offensive lineman Max Iheanachor, and the initial reaction has been one of confusion from fans everywhere.

With Iheanachor playing at the tackle position, he doesn’t fill an immediate need for Pittsburgh along its o-line (had he been a guard or center, it would be a different story). Beyond that, Iheanachor was viewed as a bit of a reach at this spot, as he was believed to be a late first-round/early second-round pick. After making the pick, though, the Steelers explained the Broderick Jones reason why they decided to bring Iheanachor to town.

The Broderick Jones Reason why the Steelers Drafted Max Iheanachor

Entering the draft, if Pittsburgh were to target offensive line help, the expectation was that it would bring an interior lineman to town. Penn State Nittany Lions guard Olaivavega Ioane was viewed as a great fit for the team at that spot, but he never had a great shot at falling to the No. 21 pick. Sure enough, the Baltimore Ravens scooped him up with the No. 14 overall selection.

Still, the Steelers have a bit of a question mark at left tackle in Jones after he suffered a season-ending neck injury last year. Neck injuries are always worrisome, and it appears as though Jones has some serious work to do when it comes to getting back on the field for the start of the 2026 campaign.

With the team deciding to draft Iheanachor, folks were confused, largely because Pittsburgh already has Jones at its disposal. Reports emerged shortly thereafter revealing that Jones suffered a setback in his rehab process from his aforementioned neck injury, which has thrown his status up in the air. When discussing the decision to draft Iheanachor, general manager Omar Khan admitted that Jones’ injury situation played a role in the team’s draft strategy.

“Sure, that’s a little bit of a concern,” Khan admitted when asked about Jones’ status in relation to the team’s decision to select Iheanachor. “We’ve got guys on the offensive line that can play different positions in the offensive line. We have options.”

Steelers Still Need Help Along Their Offensive Line

Steelers select Max Iheanachor at No. 21 overall

When they are healthy, Jones and Troy Fautanu have looked capable of being a top tackle duo for Pittsburgh. Fautanu suited up for only one game in 2024, and now, Jones is dealing with a worrying neck injury. Having Iheanachor as backup for them is a nice luxury to have, but it feels like the Steelers had more pressing needs that could have been addressed.

With Isaac Seumalo still not being properly replaced at the left guard position, this is another area the Steelers could target on Day 2 of the draft. Jones’ injury situation certainly makes the Iheanachor selection more sensible, but it remains to be seen whether or not this was the best move the team could have made, given the state of the rest of its roster.