Steelers Now
Former NFL offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz expects Pittsburgh Steelers third-year offensive tackle Troy Fautanu to take massive leap in 2026.
Fautanu missed almost his entire rookie season with a pair of knee injuries, but he returned in 2025 and had a stellar season in his first full year as an NFL starter.
In 2025, he allowed pressure on just 6.1% of his pass-blocking snaps, which was fifth-best among right tackles with at least 200 reps, per Next Gen Stats.
“I think he’s going to be the left tackle for Pittsburgh this season and go back to his natural position where he was in college and just kick ass,” Schwartz said on The GM shuffle.
Fautanu certainly has an important season ahead of him as he is moving from right tackle, where he has played for the past two years, to left tackle.
The Steelers have tweaked their alignment on the offensive line in spring practices, moving offensive tackle Fautanu and guard Mason McCormick to the left side.
Fautanu played left tackle at Washington, so it’s not a major adjustment.
“I saw it when he was in college, when he was at left tackle in college,” Steelers offensive line coach James Campen said during OTAs. “The thing with him is he just naturally goes over and starts using his left sets and those kinda things. Sometimes as coaches, we take that for granted. And I think, at times, we just say, ‘Well, just go over there and put your left hand down.’ Well, try writing left-handed if you’re right-handed. It’s not as easy as you think. And so the fact that he’s able to do that, and we’re just seeing how it goes over there for right now, but that is a big plus.”
There will be a lot of factors that determine whether the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2026 season is a success. However, there’s one player that could have a much bigger impact than people believe.
Former NFL scout Brentley Weissman believes Fautanu is the Steelers’ biggest X-factor in 2026.
“I thought the jump he made from his rookie year to his second season was phenomenal,” Weissman said. “He was 17th last year in the NFL out of all tackles in pass block win rate, and I think his ceiling is sky high. I loved him coming out of U-dub [Washington]. I think he’s a really, really talented player.”
Derrick Bell of Steelers Now has Fautanu ranked as his third-best player on the Steelers.
“Don’t let Fautanu’s “welcome to the NFL” moment, courtesy of superstars Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, cloud your perception of how well he played during the regular season,” Bell wrote. “He allowed pressure on just 6.1% of his pass-blocking snaps last season, 5th-best among right tackles with at least 200 reps per Next Gen Stats. Keep in mind that this all occurred in what was essentially his rookie season while swapping sides in the process. His explosiveness stands out in a major way on film, and...
