Dolphins should have All-Big 12 OL on their radar after 2026 combine

The Miami Dolphins are in major need of improving their offensive line, and it is likely that they address this area in one of their top few picks during April's NFL draft. With picking No. 11 in the first round, there could be a few candidates who could be home run picks should they fall to them.

Namely, University of Miami’s Francis Mauigoa and Utah’s Spencer Fano. However, if those two are off the board, or if Miami elects to either move down via a trade to the back end of the first round or try to wait until the second round to address the position, there could be a perfect candidate to hope for.

Arizona State right tackle Max Iheanachor has been skyrocketing up mock draft boards ever since his stellar performance during the Senior Bowl process in Mobile, Alabama. With an average draft position at pick No. 89 back in December (per Mock Draft Database), he's now in the top-40. He continued his upward progression with a fine outing at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine this weekend in Indianapolis.

Iheanachor tied with Fano for the top 40-yard dash time among offensive tackles at 4.91 second and was fifth in 10-yard split at 1.73 seconds with a 9-foot-7-inch broad jump.

Additionally, Iheanachor has impressed coaches and scouts with how he's handled himself during the evaluations. He ranked first among offensive tackles at the combine in Athleticism Score at 90 following his workouts on Sunday. His Relative Athletic Score, or RAS, is 9.91, which is ranked 14th out of the 1,512 offensive tackles evaluated since 1987.

Even more impressive is that Iheanachor has only been playing football for around five years and has cross-sport backgrounds in both basketball and soccer, which explains his stellar footwork and overall athleticism.

For not having played football in high school, his ability to learn and be coached is a major plus to go along with his physical traits. He may have earned himself first-round status over the last month, and the Dolphins would be very lucky to see him available in the second round at pick number 43. 

Iheanachor could be someone who challenges, or even takes over the right tackle spot from Austin Jackson, who hasn’t been very consistent for the Dolphins in performance and durability since he was drafted in 2020. There have even been rumors and speculation that Jackson could be a trade candidate and only has one year remaining on his contract. If the Dolphins want to get creative, Jackson could even be kicked inside to guard should they select Iheanachor, as he has played the interior before.

While Miami has needs all over the field offensive line has been a consistent issue in finding viable, long-term starters, and Iheanachor has shown the ability to be effective in pass protection, as well as getting out to the next level as a run blocker. Although a bit raw, he has handled himself well against top-flight competition and has sky-high potential. In 2025, he didn't allow a single sack and had just three quarterback hits in 484 pass blocking snaps, good for a 98.5% efficiency rate, which was tops in the Big 12.

First-year general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan even hinted during a press conference that trading down the board could be an option, so should the Dolphins get an opportunity to acquire more draft capital, while selecting Iheanachor in the later part of the first round. It could be a terrific value proposition that could pay dividends immediately and in the future.

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This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: 2026 NFL draft: Dolphins would be wise to target ASU RT Max Iheanachor