The Pittsburgh Steelers have their eyes on a major step forward from offensive tackle Troy Fautanu in 2026 - and based on what we saw last season, there's good reason for the optimism.
After a rookie year that was essentially wiped out by injury, Fautanu returned in 2025 and didn’t just hold his own - he looked like a foundational piece on the offensive line. Pittsburgh threw him into the fire, starting him in all 17 games, and the former Washington standout responded with the kind of steady, promising play that teams hope for when investing in a first-round lineman.
What makes his 2025 performance even more impressive is the context. Fautanu had barely played on the right side during his college days - just two snaps at right tackle, to be exact.
But the Steelers asked him to make that switch, and he adapted quickly. Over 1,000 offensive snaps, he allowed just three sacks and earned a solid 69.4 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus.
That’s not just serviceable - that’s the kind of production you can build around.
Now, with that full season under his belt, Fautanu is no longer just a promising young lineman - he’s a legitimate breakout candidate heading into 2026. The Steelers are banking on him continuing to grow, both in technique and confidence, and the early signs suggest he’s on track to do just that.
For Pittsburgh, which has been in the process of retooling its offensive line over the past few seasons, Fautanu’s emergence could be a game-changer. Stability at tackle is hard to come by in the NFL, and if he continues trending upward, the Steelers may have found their long-term answer on the right side.
It's still early in his career, but Fautanu’s trajectory is exactly what you want to see from a young lineman - resilience after injury, adaptability to a new position, and steady improvement over the course of a full season. If he takes another step forward in 2026, don’t be surprised if we’re talking about him as one of the better right tackles in the league.