Steelers have a potential star who is seriously flying under the radar

The Pittsburgh Steelers have not been shy about their draft approaches in recent years. Since Omar Khan took over as the head of the front office, he and his partner-in-crime, Andy Weidl, have focused on building the trenches. The 2023 and 2024 offseasons saw the team's first-round picks be offensive linemen, while the organization selected defensive lineman Derrick Harmon with the 21st overall pick in 2025. The franchise is sending a clear message regarding what kind of team it wants to put on the field. The hope is that these early-round investments can stay healthy and perform at a high level.

The Steelers traded up for Broderick Jones in 2023, but he has yet to get a consistent shot at his natural position over at left tackle. That is expected to occur in 2025, which will be a crucial season for the former first-rounder. On the opposite side of him will be Troy Fautanu, who had his rookie campaign end extremely early in 2024 due to an unfortunate knee injury.

A formidable offensive line will make Pittsburgh's offensive approach much easier to execute. The unit wants to run the ball all over defenses while utilizing a strategic play-action pass scheme. Both Jones and Fautanu stepping up in 2025 will be a very important piece of this. Team insider Mark Kaboly noted on a recent mailbag on X that he believes Fautanu is healthy and ready to go. He also mentioned that the lineman will be a key contributor.

"When I talked to him at the end of the year, he said he’s fine and ready to go," Kaboly wrote. "He’s going to be a huge addition to this team this year. Mark my words on that."

Another fan chimed in to ask the reporter who he thinks will be the impact player that no one is expecting. Kaboly went further than just talking about the upcoming season, and went out on a limb to say Fautanu will be an important offensive piece for a long time.

"Fautanu," Kaboly noted. "Guy is going to be a star for a decade, and that will start this year."

This is a very positive thing to get updated on by an individual who is around the team often. Fautanu's season-ending knee injury during his first professional season was unfortunate, but it's comforting to know that he is still expected to have elite skill. The Steelers could very well be set up on the bookends for a long time if Jones can come around on the left side.

With all of the quarterback uncertainty going on in the Steel City, establishing a rushing attack will be vital in 2025 and beyond. That doesn't change the fact that offenses in the NFL are required to throw quite often. Protecting the quarterback while also having the ability to seal off the outside in the running game will be the main focus for both Fautanu and Jones.

Pittsburgh has invested in the offensive line in recent years, which is why it is exciting to think about Fautanu being a franchise cornerstone for a long time. It doesn't hurt that his 2024 NFL Draft counterparts in Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick also seem to have very promising skill sets.

Steelers' Jones has more pressure than Fautanu

While Fautanu is expected to slide right into the starting right tackle spot, he will be given a little grace because he does not have much professional experience under his belt. Jones, on the other hand, could have his fifth-year option declined in the 2026 offseason if he performs poorly in 2025. Both need to excel if the team wants to start to dominate the line of scrimmage, but fans and the coaching staff will be giving much less leeway to Jones as the season kicks off in September.