We May Finally Know Who’s Pounding The Table For Max Iheanachor At Halas Hall
The Chicago Bears have only met one offensive tackle for a private visit to this point. That is Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor. While that will soon change with Caleb Lomu of Utah coming to town, it is rather interesting that he was the first name they brought in. One would think they’d have preferred targeting someone of a more proven pedigree, like Blake Miller of Clemson or Kadyn Proctor of Alabama. Iheanachor has only been playing football for five years, hailing from Nigeria.
So where is the intrigue coming from? Initial thoughts go straight to Bears general manager Ryan Poles. He loves big tackles with good movement skills and a nasty edge to their game. Darnell Wright is the primary example. Then you have head coach Ben Johnson, who has been obsessed with the left tackle spot for over a year. Big tackles are a preference for him as well. However, based on comments from draft insider Jon Ledyard, the one likely pounding the table for Iheanachor is offensive line coach Dan Roushar.
Why?
Max Iheanachor has a game that mirrors Terron Armstead.
“I have a comp and I think I was actually, I had this comp when I was watching him. I hadn’t looked it up, but I just looked it up while you were talking. If you saw me fist pumping, that’s why, because this actually shows up on Mock Draftable physical comparison.
And it probably is a physical comparison, but I do think it’s the type of player he could be. Terron Armstead is the player that I thought of constantly when watching him. I thought he was that when they talk about the athleticism. But also physically, they’re very similar. Neither of them have crazy long arms.
They’re more like mediocre in that way. But they have the hand usage. They have the body posture. They have the movement skills to be able to mirror guys. And then you don’t see that issue show up, I don’t think, for either of them a lot…
…Physically, I saw them as similar, and then movement-wise, I saw them as pretty similar as well. Now, he’s nowhere near obviously consistency-wise, like where Armstead was from a technical standpoint, but Armstead wasn’t that when he came from Arkansas Pine Bluff.”
Roushar sees Armstead as THE standard at left tackle.
The offensive line coach worked with the five-time Pro Bowler from 2016 through 2021. During that time, Armstead established himself as one of the two or three best left tackles in the game. He would be in the discussion for the Hall of Fame if injuries hadn’t pockmarked his career in both New Orleans and Miami. For Iheanachor to be mentioned as a direct comparison is no small thing. Both were phenomenal athletes coming out of college. Armstead came from a small school. Iheanachor comes with considerable inexperience.
The interesting part in this is one key difference. Where Armstead was considered a good pass blocker and an iffy run blocker, Iheanachor is the opposite. He’s a good run blocker with uneven pass protection. However, there has been noticeable improvement over the past season and especially the Senior Bowl. All of the issues stem from technical problems. Such things are easily solved by a good offensive line coach, which Roushar is. Poles was in person at the Arizona State pro day, which is no small thing.
Whether his wish is granted is the interesting part.
One thing we’ve noticed about Johnson in the draft since he gained great say in personnel is that he prefers younger prospects. Typically, they should be 21 or younger. Max Iheanachor turns 23 in October. While that isn’t a huge discrepancy, it is at least noteworthy given his lack of experience. Then you have the position he plays. NFL teams covet offensive tackles more than ever, especially ones who are great athletes like him. If you look back at historical examples with scouting reports similar to his, you’ll find they all went before the Bears’ spot at 25th overall.
- Lane Johnson – 4th
- Ikem Ekwonu – 6th
- Austin Jackson – 18th
- Tytus Howard – 23rd
If Iheanachor has the attention of somebody like Roushar, you can bet the same is true for other prominent offensive line coaches around the league. That is why the odds are rising that he goes in the top 20 unless he bombs the interview process. Still, this is something to keep an eye on.