The initial draft grades general manager Omar Khan and the Pittsburgh Steelers received for their first-round pick Thursday night were adequate. Most national pundits awarded Khan a grade in the B range for his selection of offensive tackle Max Iheanachor.
But Khan and the Steelers received significant local criticism from Steelers Now’s Alan Saunders.
The Pittsburgh reporter argued the Steelers failed “three separate times” with their 2026 first-round pick. As a result, the Steelers took a project offensive lineman.
“The Steelers wanted to draft a quarterback. When one wasn’t available, they sensibly pivoted to wide receiver. A failure, but one that was largely out of their control,” wrote Saunders. “When the Eagles sniped Lemon, that was also a failure — one that was more in their control — but still not an unreasonable one. Who would think the Dallas Cowboys would help the Philadelphia Eagles do anything?
“But to end up drafting a position the team clearly didn’t prefer, without the ability to even illustrate the beginnings of a plan for how to use him or how he might fit with the team’s offensive line makes it clear that the Steelers panicked and reached when the Eagles upset their process.”
Eagles Steal WR Makai Lemon From Omar Khan, Steelers
According to Saunders, the Steelers first-round pick began to go south on draft night when the Dallas Cowboys were on the clock at No. 20. Khan was set to select next at No. 21.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the Steelers were on the phone with USC receiver Makai Lemon when the Philadelphia Eagles also called the receiver. The Steelers reportedly told Lemon they were taking him next at No. 21.
Except, the Eagles executed a trade with the Cowboys for the No. 20 overall pick. The Eagles then took Lemon.
With the USC receiver off the board, the Steelers had to quickly pivot to a Plan B. That was a Plan C if one considers the initial desire to draft a quarterback this year’s Plan A.
The Eagles sent two fourth-round picks to the Cowboys to move up three spots. That’s a lot to give up, but the Steelers lead the 2026 NFL Draft with 12 selections. The chatter among Pittsburgh fans on social media after the Steelers missed Lemon that they should have tried harder to move up the board.
After picking Iheanachor, Khan addressed how the Eagles trading up impacted his team’s selection.
“I think all those things that happen around us affect the conversations, but it’s just the draft,” he said.
What’s Steelers Plan With Max Iheanachor?
Losing Lemon at the last moment, along with the report about it, is a bit of a PR nightmare for the Steelers. But Saunders argued the team’s Plan C made things worse.
Fellow receivers Omar Cooper Jr., KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston were all still on the board at No. 21. But instead of one of the other top remaining receivers, the team moved on to pick Iheanachor.
Khan and head coach Mike McCarthy stressed the addition of Iheanachor gives the Steelers offensive line flexibility. But where he exactly fits into Pittsburgh’s plan up front is not clear.
McCarthy said Iheanachor would initially play tackle. Depending on Broderick Jones’s recovery from his neck injury, that could be either left or right tackle.
Pittsburgh’s incumbent right tackle, Troy Fautanu, could move to left tackle if Iheanachor plays on the right side. But if left tackle Jones is healthy, the Steelers may move Fautanu to left guard.
Khan didn’t rule that out Thursday night.
Despite McCarthy’s claim Iheanachor will play tackle, some pundit suggested Thursday night the first-round pick is the one who could make the switch to guard.
There’s a lot to like about Iheanachor. He’s extremely athletic with high upside.
But Saunders could be the first of many to criticize the process of how the Steelers landed the lineman at No. 21 overall.
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