--- title: "Tyson, Iheanachor Hand ASU a Draft Blueprint" description: "Arizona State has two first-round NFL picks for the first time in 25 years, and a sharper recruiting pitch." url: https://sportopod.com/en-US/cluster/jordyn-tyson-and-max-iheanachor-inspiring-asu-8217-s-next-n-morcw72x published: 2026-05-04T11:33:44+00:00 updated: 2026-05-07T06:17:39.11+00:00 author: "Kostadin Stamboliev" publisher: "Pineido" site: "Sportopod" language: en topics: ["football"] --- # Tyson, Iheanachor Hand ASU a Draft Blueprint > Arizona State has two first-round NFL picks for the first time in 25 years, and a sharper recruiting pitch. Arizona State has fresh proof that its rebuild can produce NFL money. Jordyn Tyson went to the New Orleans Saints as a top-10 NFL Draft pick, and Max Iheanachor landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21, giving ASU two first-round selections for the first time in 25 years. That matters beyond one draft night. Tyson’s work habits have become a reference point inside the program, while Iheanachor’s climb gives teammates another model for how a Sun Devil can turn development into a first-round résumé. The timing gives Kenny Dillingham’s staff something concrete to carry into every recruiting conversation. Prospects do not have to squint at a long-range promise. They can see two recent first-round outcomes from the same program, in the same draft, with Tyson and Iheanachor now attached to NFL teams. Inside the building, the value is just as direct. Tyson’s example puts daily habits at the center of the story, and Iheanachor’s rise reinforces the idea that development still matters. That gives ASU players a standard they can measure themselves against instead of a slogan taped to a wall. The context makes the moment sharper. Arizona State did not just place a player in the first round and move on. It produced two different proof points at once, which makes the message harder to dismiss. Tyson gives the staff a top-10 headline. Iheanachor gives it another first-round case at No. 21. Together, they turn one success story into a program argument. That argument now belongs to the roster as much as the coaches. Teammates can study Tyson’s habits and Iheanachor’s climb without treating either path as distant history. The examples are current, specific, and tied to Tempe. That matters when a rebuild needs buy-in from players already inside the room, not just signatures from the next recruiting class. The message is blunt and useful: Arizona State is no longer selling only belief. It can point to Tyson and Iheanachor as evidence that the path from Tempe to the NFL is open again, and that players already in the building have a standard to chase. For Kenny Dillingham’s program, this is recruiting ammunition. First-round picks change the way prospects listen, the way teammates train, and the way expectations form around a rebuild that now has visible receipts. What's next: ASU’s next wave of players will try to turn the momentum from Tyson and Iheanachor into the program’s next NFL Draft story. ## Why this matters Arizona State needed proof, not mood music. Tyson and Iheanachor supplied it. Two first-round picks for the first time in 25 years gives ASU a cleaner pitch in recruiting rooms and a harder edge inside its own locker room. Players can now point to recent examples, not old program mythology, when talking about development. That matters for Kenny Dillingham because the rebuild gains credibility when teammates see a direct line from daily habits to draft capital. Hope sells for a while. First-round production sells faster. ## Frequently asked ### Who drafted Jordyn Tyson? Jordyn Tyson was selected by the New Orleans Saints as a top-10 pick in the NFL Draft, giving Arizona State one of its two first-round selections in this breakthrough draft class. ### Where did Max Iheanachor get picked? Max Iheanachor went No. 21 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. His selection, paired with Tyson’s, gave Arizona State two first-round NFL Draft picks for the first time in 25 years. ### Why is this important for Arizona State? The Tyson and Iheanachor picks give ASU a tangible player-development story. Teammates can treat their paths as a blueprint, while coaches can use those results as proof when recruiting future Sun Devils. ### What is the bigger message for ASU players? The bigger message is that Arizona State’s current momentum can lead somewhere concrete. Tyson’s work habits and Iheanachor’s rise now stand as examples for players trying to turn Tempe development into NFL opportunity. ## Sources & Citations - [Jordyn Tyson and Max Iheanachor inspiring ASU’s next NFL stars after school’s 25-year first](https://talksport.com/nfl/4229618/jordyn-tyson-arizona-state-roommate-saints-draft-rookie-contract/) — talkSPORT (2026-05-04) --- Cite: Tyson, Iheanachor Hand ASU a Draft Blueprint. Sportopod, 2026-05-04. https://sportopod.com/en-US/cluster/jordyn-tyson-and-max-iheanachor-inspiring-asu-8217-s-next-n-morcw72x