Steelers Likely Changing Star OT's Position After First-Round Pick

The Pittsburgh Steelers need to do some shuffling on the offensive line.

Jan 4, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Troy Fautanu (76) blocks at the line of scrimmage against the Baltimore Ravens during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Following the pick of Max Iheanachor at No. 21 in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers might mess around with their personnel along the offensive line.

Head coach Mike McCarthy, when asked if the addition of Iheanachor could push Troy Fautanu over to left tackle since the former started at right tackle for Arizona State, kept the door open for such a move while touting the flexibility the Steelers have from a positional standpoint.

"All those things are discussions that will occur after the draft," McCarthy said. "We had two really good days on Monday and Tuesday to work with our men, and we looked at position flex throughout the individual drills in the work that we did with the offensive line. We even had some group activity that we worked on with a number of offensive linemen, both left and right. It's part of being a new staff. They're excited about it. We wanted to see what this weekend brings, and we're off to a hell of a start with our offensive line room."

Dec 15, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Troy Fautanu (76) looks to block Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Zach Sieler (92) during the first half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Fautanu's Versatility is Invaluable for Steelers

If Iheanachor isn't ready to start by Week 1, which is a realistic scenario considering he is relatively inexperienced and has to work on his technique, there's a world where Fautanu remains at right tackle to open the year while Dylan Cook or Broderick Jones (if healthy) holds down the fort at left tackle.

Should Iheanachor show tangible progress throughout the course of the offseason program, training camp and the preseason, putting all the pieces together quicker than anticipated, having him start at right tackle and Fautanu on the opposite side feels like it's in the cards.

Fautanu has only appeared at right tackle since being selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but he spent his entire redshirt senior season with Washington exclusively at left tackle and also played left guard on occasion for the program.

The 25-year-old's flexibility is a huge plus for the Steelers, especially when they seem committed to keeping Iheanachor at right tackle and not kicking him inside or over to left tackle, at least initially.

Fautanu impressed in 2025, which marked his first full season after dislocating his kneecap in practice before Week 3 of his rookie year, and he has the necessary traits to make a seamless transition back over to left tackle if necessary.

Pittsburgh's best-case scenario is that Iheanachor starts at his natural position in Week 1, and Fautanu could help that goal be reached due to his versatility.

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