Max Iheanachor among Mel Kiper Jr.’s favorite NFL Draft prospects

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. penciled in Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor as one of his personal favorites by position this NFL Draft.

Five days removed from linking the Sun Devil to the San Francisco 49ers at No. 27 overall in his two-round mock draft, Kiper continues to praise Iheanachor as one of the best tackle prospects on the board.

Iheanachor should be a first-rounder based on his potential, but he’s probably a second-rounder when it’s all said and done… I love everything about his journey to this point and how he just keeps getting better and better.

After migrating to the United States from Nigeria at 13 years old, he transitioned from basketball and soccer to football for the first time at East Los Angeles College.

He impressed enough in his first season within the sport to receive an offer from ASU, where he would eventually become the full-time starting right tackle by 2024. In his last season at the collegiate level, Iheanachor earned All-Big 12 Second-Team honors after allowing zero sacks and 14 pressures in 860 total snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

Iheanachor has also taken full advantage of the pre-draft period to boost his draft stock. He recorded standout performances at the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine before getting some one-on-one work with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel at ASU’s pro day.

Over the past week alone, ESPN’s Matt Bowen named him the most explosive offensive lineman available while NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah slotted him in at No. 31 overall in his top 150 prospects list.

Kiper is the latest entry on the list of analysts and reporters labeling Iheanachor as one of the most tantalizing names on the board due to the athleticism and measurables he’s showcased over the past three months.

He’s 6-foot-6 and 321 pounds, and he has 33 7/8-inch arms. Iheanachor ran an incredible 4.91-second 40 at the combine, too, showcasing his quickness. Despite being new to the game, he started 31 games in college, and he went up against some good edge rushers at right tackle. The arrow is pointing up on Iheanachor.

NFL Mock Draft Database projects Iheanachor coming off the board around the No. 30 pick. Draft analysts have him landing with teams such as the 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles (No. 23), Houston Texans (No. 28) and New England Patriots (No. 31).

Kiper’s mock draft also projects ASU wide receiver Jordyn Tyson to land with the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 9 overall. If his predictions prove true, this would mark the first time multiple Sun Devils are selected on Day 1 since Adam Archuleta (No. 20) and Todd Heap (No. 31) were picked in the 2001 NFL Draft.

The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off in Pittsburgh, Pa. on Thursday at 5 p.m. MST. Arizona Sports’ Draft Roundtable starts at 2 p.m. MST for coverage of the first round.

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