LATROBE, Pa. — For offensive tackle Max Iheanachor, practicing without pads is like playing football in “pajamas.” On Monday, it was finally time to wake up to the real action.“I want to see his feet,” coach Mike McCarthy said before practice. “I want to see the athletic ability come out… The speed of the game in helmet practices is full speed more in space. But let’s see how it goes in the phone booth.”Superman isn’t coming out of that phone booth just yet, but Iheanachor’s first practice in pads showed why the Steelers made him a first-round pick. His lateral agility and length, in particular, were evident.During one-on-one drills, Ihenachor forced Jack Sawyer to the outside for a win. Later, the right tackle used his leverage to keep Alex Highsmith at bay. Iheanachor also kept the pocket clean during the two-minute drill, often holding off Sawyer. The first-round pick wasn’t perfect (Highsmith did beat him early and inside on one rep) and it’s still extremely early in camp, but Iheanachor produced more good than bad. Thinking back to Broderick Jones’ first day in pads a few years ago, Iheanachor is off to a much more encouraging start.“I feel good, but you know, always got to go back and watch the film and always find something to get better at,” Iheanachor said.The Steelers suggested during OTAs that they were willing to take a patient approach with Iheanachor, who will need plenty of refinement to hit his ceiling. Through most of camp, he has been working at right tackle with the second-team offense while Dylan Cook gets the first-team reps. However, Iheanachor has occasionally been sprinkled into first-team situations, including on Monday when the entire starting offensive line was intact, with Iheanachor in place of Cook.How Iheanachor defied expectations to become the Steelers' No. 1 pick Mike DeFaboIt benefits Ihenachor that the Steelers’ talented group of outside linebackers features a number of different body types and playing styles, from the small and speedy Nick Herbig to the thick and physical Highsmith. As he works to get up to speed, Iheanachor has been sitting next to 2024 first-round pick Troy Fautanu in meetings.“I’m just always picking his brain,” Iheanachor said. “Going on year three, he’s seen a lot more than me and played more.”Beyond Iheanachor, the rest of the young offensive line looked stout. Zach Frazier, who has been on a Pro Bowl trajectory from his first day as a rookie, continues to shine. During one-on-one drills, Herbig tried a spin move against the center. Frazier stopped the outside linebacker in his tracks, while the rest of the line laughed at the attempt. Later, Frazier out-leveraged Cameron Heyward and pulled the veteran defensive lineman to the turf.The Steelers are still in the ramp-up phase of camp and were limited to 105 minutes. As the week continues, the intensity will increase.