Pittsburgh Steelers OT Troy Fautanu missed nearly the entirety of his rookie season with a knee injury, but the Steelers are relying on a second-year bounceback. NFL Media’s Bucky Brooks thinks they’ll get one, as Brooks put Fautanu on his 2025 breakout team.
“Because of a knee injury, Fautanu played in just one game as a rookie. Now, though, he has a chance to earn Pro Bowl consideration as a first-time starter, thanks to his exceptional talent and polished technique. He is a natural edge blocker with the balance, body control and lateral quickness to effectively shadowbox pass rushers in space,” Brooks wrote.
Joining Fautanu on the breakout team is his fellow 2024 draftee in C Zach Frazier. Frazier had an impressive rookie campaign, and Brooks expects him to build upon that.
“From Frazier’s rugged play as a run-blocker to his quick hands and stout “short sets” in pass protection, he possesses the tools to emerge as a perennial Pro Bowler in Pittsburgh,” he wrote.
Given that Frazier played like one of the best centers in football last season, a “breakout” from him would really just constitute emerging as the best center in the league. Frazier was really good as a rookie, and building upon that would be huge for Pittsburgh’s offensive line.
Fautanu played well in his one game last season, and was drawing a lot of praise for how he looked in training camp. But a preseason injury followed by a dislocated kneecap suffered in practice cut his season short, and injuries could wind up being a concern with Fautanu. Given their relative lack of offensive tackle depth, the Steelers not only need Fautanu to play well, but to stay on the field.
If he is able to stay healthy, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Fautanu did stand out next season. He has the tools to be a really talented offensive tackle, and the little bit he showed last season was still enough to get excited for the future. There’s no doubt that Fautanu is still an unknown, and that can be concerning, but the potential is there for him to break out.
Right now, Pittsburgh’s offensive tackle situation is one of its biggest question marks, but if Fautanu has a season worthy of Pro Bowl consideration like Brooks predicts, then the team should be just fine at the position. It would also strengthen the offensive line as a whole, which will go a long way toward helping the Steelers finally having consistent offensive success.
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