After a busy offseason, the Steelers are heading into a season that could quietly reshape a few careers on both sides of the ball. The headlines may go to the bigger names, but Pittsburgh has several younger players who are sitting on real breakout potential if they take the next step.
Some of the obvious candidates for a leap are already getting plenty of attention - Nick Herbig, Joey Porter Jr., and Payton Wilson among them. But there’s another group worth watching closely, and it includes a mix of linemen and defenders who could end up mattering a lot more than their current résumés suggest.
Derrick Harmon is one of the most intriguing names on that list. The 2025 first-round pick didn’t have the cleanest rookie season because injuries kept interrupting his year, but the flashes were there when he was healthy.
His biggest impact came against the run, where he quickly gave the Steelers’ defense a boost. That matters even more with Cam Heyward getting older, because Pittsburgh would love Harmon to grow into the kind of player who can eventually fill that role.
He’s already showing signs of becoming a force against the run, and the next step is finding more consistent pressure on the quarterback.
Zach Frazier may not feel like a surprise breakout pick, but he belongs in the conversation anyway. He has already climbed into the group of the NFL’s better centers, and there’s no sign that trend is slowing.
With Aaron Rodgers returning, Frazier should have a little less on his plate when it comes to making changes at the line, which lets him focus on the rest of his job. This season also carries extra weight because contract extension talks are likely to start afterward.
If he puts together a strong year, that only drives the price higher. He still hasn’t earned Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors, but that could change if his current trajectory holds.
Jack Sawyer is a different kind of breakout candidate. His rookie year didn’t show much on the stat sheet, but that had a lot to do with opportunity.
He was buried behind other players on the depth chart and simply didn’t get many chances. That could change if injuries hit the outside linebacker group, and the Steelers may also shuffle T.J.
Watt and potentially other edge rushers around the line. Sawyer was a proven player at Ohio State, and a bigger role this season would give him a chance to answer real questions about the future at the position.
Then there’s Troy Fautanu, who is facing one of the biggest changes of the bunch. Pittsburgh is altering its offensive line, and Fautanu is moving from right tackle to left tackle in hopes of becoming the blindside protector the team has been searching for.
That shift leaves Broderick Jones in a tough spot as he continues working back from a serious neck injury with no return date. For Fautanu, success means proving he can be as good, or even better, on the left side than he was on the right.
If he pulls it off, he could save the Steelers from a lot of problems and put himself in line for a major payday.
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Steelers Draft Regret Looks Even Worse With This 2021 Reminder
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Aaron Rodgers Steelers Retreat Raised One Quiet QB2 Question
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Rudolphs place in the group naturally invites a little reading between the lines, because the backup job is one of the more closely watched spots on the roster. The photos do not settle anything on their own, and the Steelers have made no official call, but the social snapshot is enough to keep the competition in view as camp approaches. [Read more 🡒]