New NFL Mock Draft Sends High-Upside OT to Texans

The 2026 NFL Draft sits just under three weeks away from kicking off in Pittsburgh, and the predictions are starting to flow as to how the first round of action could go.

The Houston Texans, with pick 28 in the first round, have a variety of different directions to go once they're on the clock, depending on how the board falls. Outside of a few pieces to round out the depth chart, their active free agency period has filled their biggest outstanding holes with veterans, and thus prevents them from forcing a pick based on need rather than talent.

But there could be a prospect on the board at pick 28 that not only has a ton of talent to offer, yet continues to fill Houston's glaring need many circled headed into the offseason—that being their offensive line.

The latest NFL mock draft from Peter Schrager of ESPN projected the Texans to continue bringing in that offensive line help with someone who a ton of pro-level upside, that being Arizona State tackle Max Iheanachor.

"One of the players with the biggest upside in this class, Iheanachor is still relatively new to football. The Nigerian-born tackle got to the United States when he was 13 years old and picked up the sport in just the past few years," Schrager wrote.

"Still growing and learning, he could be a home run pick if a team is patient and capitalizes on his upside. Houston is always looking for talent on its O-line as the front office works through another makeover of the unit."

What Does Max Max Iheanachor Have to Offer?

Sep 20, 2025; Waco, Texas, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils offensive lineman Max Iheanachor (58) in action against the Baylor Bears during the first half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

There are clear pros and cons when looking towards a potential selection of Iheanachor; one of the more highly-touted tackle prospects in this year's class, but is far from refined from what his ceiling looks like at the next level.

His size and athleticism are his biggest calling cards as a prospect. Standing at 6'6", 321 pounds with an arm length of 33 7/8", combined with running a 4.91 40-yard dash and logging 25 bench reps, scouts are bound to be giving him clear attention through the pre-draft process on those traits alone.

Max Iheanachor is a OT prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.86 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 23 out of 1606 OT from 1987 to 2026.https://t.co/jNBCBrXnNm pic.twitter.com/O3Q4A4WAjZ
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) March 29, 2026

Having started football early, though, both by coming to the US at 13 years old and being a former high school basketball player, his technical skills as an NFL tackle still need development.

He played well against strong competition last season, like Texas Tech, but needs to prove he can sustain that production to combine with his outstanding physical traits. If so, he could very well be a confident starter upfront in a couple seasons.

Does He Fit With the Texans?

Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio speaks during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

If the Texans did stick and pick at 28, and were targeting a high-ceiling player rather than experienced, proven production, Iheanachor might be one of the best possible fits for that mold when looking at the offensive line.

Considering Houston just added a couple of new veterans for their offensive line in Wyatt Teller and Ed Ingram, there's no overwhelming need to bring in a plug-and-play starter upfront anywhere in the first round.

Instead, the Texans hold the flexibility to bank on physicals, upside, and talent with someone who could be a long-term option on the right side of their line like Iheanachor, possibly as a successor to Smith once his newly signed two-year contract expires.

Max Iheanachor is a fascinating prospect—high school hoops star and Nigerian immigrant who never played football before being convinced by his AAU coach to give the sport a go at a juco, East Los Angeles College.

Raw but a lot of upside. https://t.co/y2OrNcKfEc
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 27, 2026

He has the standout size that the Texans have coveted with other tackle additions like Aireontae Ersery in last year's draft, or even their free agent addition of Trent Brown from last offseason, who was eventually signed on for a second year.

Going with Iheanachor is certainly a high investment to make. Taking a developmental offensive lineman with the first pick on the board comes with a ton of risk baked in, though it comes for good reason when projecting what his ceiling could be.

If Houston pulls the trigger, and he hits, his presence gives the offense a steady young core of stout tackles with him and Ersery to build into the future with, and might just silence any further offensive line debates for the time being.

With that in mind, Iheanachor's fit with Houston, as well as Schrager's prediction, might not be that far-fetched.

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