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Jordyn Tyson (No. 8), Max Iheanachor (No. 21) selected in First Round of 2026 NFL Draft

Tyson and Iheanachor become the first duo from Sun Devil Football to be selected in the first round of the NFL Drat since 2001.

Sun Devil Athletics Draft Picks Opens in a new window Meet the mom behind Jordyn Tyson’s NFL Draft dream Opens in a new window Max Iheanachor is a 'beast' who helps the Steelers (Yahoo Sports) Opens in a new window
Jordyn Tyson (No. 8), Max Iheanachor (No. 21) selected in First Round of 2026 NFL DraftJordyn Tyson (No. 8), Max Iheanachor (No. 21) selected in First Round of 2026 NFL Draft

Jordyn Tyson and Max Iheanachor pose with Coach Dillingham, Coach Ward, Coach Tuitele, Coach Arroyo, and Coach Barrett after hearing their names called during the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 23.

by Connor Smith

Jordyn Tyson and Max Iheanachor made history for the Sun Devil Football program at the 2026 NFL Draft. Tyson was selected by the New Orleans Saints with the 8th overall pick, while Ihenachor was taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 21st pick. Read more on the significance of tonight's NFL Draft outcome for Arizona State and Head Coach Kenny Dillingham's program.

Sun Devil Football at the NFL Draft

  • Two Sun Devil Football student-athletes were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft for for the first time since Adam Archuleta (St. Louis Rams; Round 1/Pick 20) and Todd Heap (Baltimore Ravens; Round 1/Pick 31) both came off the board in the 2001 NFL Draft before enjoying successful professional careers.
  • It is the fourth time that Arizona State has had two first round picks in the same NFL Draft. In addition to the aformentioned 2001 draft, the program also accomplished the feat in 1988 (Randall McDaniel/Aaron Cox) and 1976 (Mike Haynes/Larry Gordon).
  • This is the first time since 1988 (McDaniel 19th, Cox 20th) and only third-time ever (1976 - Haynes 5th, Gordon 17th) that ASU has had two student-athletes in the Top-21 picks of the first round.
  • Tyson and Iheanachor become the 27th and 28th first round NFL Draft picks from Arizona State.
  • ASU is one of nine schools that had at least two first round picks. They are one of two Big 12 schools to accomplish the feat, joined by Utah. The two first round picks were more than notable programs such as Georgia, Michigan, Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, Tennessee, Florida State, Texas Tech, Penn State, Florida, and USC.
  • Sun Devil Football is one of only four programs to have two student-athletes selected in the Top-21 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft. They are joined by Ohio State (4), Alabama (2), and Miami (2).

Schools with the most first round draft picks:
1. Ohio State: 4
2. Miami: 3
T3. Arizona State: 2 (WR Jordyn Tyson & OL Max Iheanachor)
T3. Indiana: 2 (QB Fernando Mendoza & WR Omar Cooper Jr.)
T3. Notre Dame: 2 (RBs Jeremiyah Love & Jadarian Price)
T3. Utah: 2 (OL Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu)
T3. Alabama: 2 (OL Kadyn Proctor & QB Ty Simpson)
T3. Clemson: 2 (OL Blake Miller & DT Peter Woods)
T3. Oregon: 2 (TE Kenyon Sadiq & S Dillon Thieneman)

WR Jordyn Tyson - 8th pick, 1st Round (New Orleans Saints)

  • Jordyn Tyson becomes the highest-selected Sun Devil since Mike Haynes  went 5th overall in the 1976 NFL Draft to the New England Patriots. Haynes went on to have a Pro Football Hall of Fame career.
  • Tyson is the eighth Top-10 NFL Draft pick in program history. Other Top-10 selections that were products of Sun Devil Football included...
    • WR Jordyn Tyson (2026, 8th pick by New Orleans)
    • DL Terrell Suggs (2003, 10th pick by Baltimore)
    • OL Levi Jones (2002, 10th pick by Cincinnati)
    • RB Gerald Riggs (1982, 9th pick by Atlanta)
    • DL Al Harris (1979, 9th pick by Chicago)
    • DB Mike Haynes (1976, 5th pick by New England)
    • WR J.D. Hill (1971, 4th pick by Buffalo)
    • RB Charley Taylor (1964, 3rd pick by Washington)
  • Tyson becomes the highest-selected Sun Devil wide receiver since J.D. Hill went 4th overall in the 1971 NFL Draft to the Buffalo Bills
  • Tyson is the eighth wide receiver taken in the first round of the NFL Draft out of Arizona State.
    • Jordyn Tyson (2026, 8th pick by New Orleans)
    • Brandon Aiyuk (2020, 25th pick by San Francisco)
    • N'Keal Harry (2019, 32nd pick by New England)
    • Aaron Cox (1988, 20th pick by Los Angeles)
    • John Jefferson (1978, 14th pick by San Diego)
    • Steve Holden (1973, 16th pick by Cleveland)
    • J.D. Hill (1971, 4th pick by Buffalo)
    • John Pitts (1967, 22nd pick by Buffalo)
  • Tyson is the 37th overall wide recevier to be drafted into the NFL from the Sun Devil Football program.
  • He is the sixth Sun Devil to be drafted by the Saints and is the only first round pick by New Orleans from Arizona State. It is the first time the Saints have used a pick on a player from ASU since 2005 when they selected defensive tackle Jimmy Verdon in the seventh round.
  • Tyson becomes just the second Sun Devil student-athlete to be selected with the No. 8 overall pick in the first round of a professional draft, joining Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Famer Mike Leake, who was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2009 MLB Draft out of the eight slot.

    OL Max Iheanachor - 21st pick, 1st Round (Pittsburgh Steelers)
  • Max Iheanachor becomes the highest-selected Sun Devil offensive lineman since 2002 when Levi Jones went 10th overall to the Bengals.
  • He is the third offensive lineman taken in the first round of the NFL Draft out of Arizona State.
    • Max Iheanachor (2026, 21st pick by Pittsburgh)
    • Levi Jones (2002, 10th pick by Cincinnati)
    • Randall McDaniel (1988, 19th pick by Minnesota)
  • Iheanachor is 22nd Top-25 NFL Draft pick in program history.
  • Iheanachor is the 38th overall offensive lineman to be drafted into the NFL from the Sun Devil Football program.
  • He is the eighth Sun Devil to be drafted by the Steelers and is only the second first round pick by Pittsburgh from Arizona State.
    • OL Max Iheanachor (Round 1, pick 21 in 2026)
    • OL Marvel Smith (Round 2, pick 38 in 2000)
    • DL Jeremy Staat (Round 2, pick 41 in 1998)
    • DB Jason Simmons (Round 5, pick 137 in 1998)
    • OL John Meyer (Round 2, pick 43 in 1982)
    • LB Bob Kohrs (Round 2, pick 35 in 1980)
    • QB Mark Malone (Round 1, pick 28 in 1980)
    • RB John Henry Johnson (Round 2, pick 18 in 153)
  • Iheanachor becomes the first offensive lineman from ASU to be drafted since G Sam Jones went in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft to the Broncos.

Up Next
Continue watching the 2026 NFL Draft live on ESPN or the NFL Network with coverage of the second and third rounds starting tomorrow at 4 PM MST. Sun Devil Football standouts Keith Abney, Keyshaun Elliot, X Alford, Jordan Crook, Justin Wodtly, Jesus Gomez, Jacob Kongaika, Chamon Metayer, Ben Coleman, Prince Dorbah, Myles Rowser and others wait to hear their name called.

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