Mike Vrabel made headlines on the scouting trail this week. The New England Patriots were blown out 29-13 by the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX, exposing an offensive line that was sacked six times and left Drake Maye helpless. The 2026 NFL Draft is closing in fast, and Vrabel is already hunting for answers. His latest scouting stop is raising eyebrows across the league.
Mike Vrabel Locks Up With Max Iheanachor
At Arizona State’s Pro Day on Friday, Vrabel did not settle for watching from the sidelines. He stepped directly onto the field and went one-on-one with offensive tackle Max Iheanachor, a fast-rising prospect in the 2026 draft class.
Iheanachor stands 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 321 pounds. His story is remarkable. He came to the United States from Nigeria at age 13, played basketball through high school, and did not pick up football until his time at East Los Angeles College.
After two seasons of JUCO ball, Iheanachor transferred to Arizona State, where he started 31 games. At the NFL Combine, his 40-yard dash time came within .01 seconds of a position record, and he allowed zero sacks across 482 pass-blocking snaps last season per PFF. His stock has climbed steadily into fringe first-round territory.
Patriots HC Mike Vrabel Battles ASU OT Prospect Max Iheanachor at Pro Day
Patriots HC Mike Vrabel Battles ASU OT Prospect Max Iheanachor at Pro Day (Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images)
Vrabel locked up with Iheanachor during positional work, coaching hand placement and footwork while pushing through several reps. The session quickly went viral in a 26-second clipposted by Fox 10 Phoenix reporter Blake Niemann.
Vrabel’s hands-on approach is nothing new he did the same with Will Campbell ahead of the 2025 draft but seeing a head coach get physical with a prospect at a Pro Day still drew wide attention.
Multiple top executivesattended the event, including the Giants’ head coach and GMs from Atlanta, Arizona, and Chicago. Iheanachor had already visited the Patriots following the Combine, and the two sides picked up right where they left off.
New England holds the 31st pick overall, and analysts at NFL.com have already projected Iheanachor landing there.
Not everyone was impressed. The Super Bowl loss followed Vrabel right into the comment section.
Fans Roast Mike Vrabel Coaching Up Max Iheanachor
The video spread fast and the reactions came hard.
One frustrated fanvented: “This guy is such a cheeseball I’m over. Got blown out and embarrassed in the SB.”
Anotherjoked: “He’s a lunatic 😂 no other coach is doing this bro”
A thirdquipped: “Like watching two grizzlies tussle”
A fourthadded: “bro vrabel’s got that magic touch like chef in the kitchen huh”
One skepticpushed back: “So many people kissing Vrabels ass in the comments.. did everyone forget what Will Cambell did in the Super Bowl.. I’m not taking any pointers from his coach”
The debate showed how divided Patriots fans remain, even as Vrabel pushes hard into draft preparation.
The Patriots enter the 2026 NFL Draft holding pick No. 31, with the offensive line their biggest priority. Vrabel made his interest clear at Arizona State, and Iheanachor could hear his name called April 23.