A Morris Trophy winner and first-team All-Pac-12 tackle, Troy Fautanu was drafted 20th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024 to be a building block of the future. However, he appeared in just one game as a rookie before a dislocated kneecap cut his season short.
Then he came back last season and quietly had one of the better years by any offensive lineman in the NFL.
He started all 17 games at right tackle and allowed just 25 total pressures, two sacks, and four hits, earning an overall PFF grade of 66.7 that ranked 44th of 89 qualified tackles. Playing 100% of the Steelers’ offensive snaps, he gave up only three penalties all year and only allowed pressure on 6.1% of his pass-blocking snaps — the fifth-best rate among all right tackles with at least 200 reps, according to Next Gen Stats.
Now, coming off that strong second season, the Steelers are moving him to left tackle — the position he actually played all four years at Washington, and arguably his more natural fit. With Broderick Jones dealing with a neck injury that could sideline him to start 2026, and Pittsburgh using its first-round pick on Max Iheanachor, who played right tackle over the last three years at Arizona State, the time has come for him to break out in the same position that made him a star in college.
Left tackle is the most premium position on the offensive line, and the player tasked with protecting the quarterback’s blind side. The Steelers’ starting quarterback in 2026 will be 43 years old in December: Aaron Rodgers.
Pittsburgh is hoping to go on one last run with Rodgers, his former Packers coach Mike McCarthy, and a defense filled with aging stars, such as T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, and Jalen Ramsey. The offense has some splashy new pieces like Rico Dowdle and Michael Pittman Jr., but keeping Rodgers upright will be pivotal — and that will be Fautanu’s primary job.
Analysts have already taken notice of Fautanu’s ceiling. Brentley Weissman, a former NFL scout, called him the Steelers’ biggest X-factor this season, pointing to his “sky-high” potential.
If Fautanu can carry his 2025 success over to the left side, he could establish himself as the Steelers’ long-term answer at one of the most important positions in sports — and put himself in line for a potential Pro Bowl-caliber season.