The NFL offseason can be a time of boundless optimism. Teams\u2019 roster moves look more reasonable than not, and even the more questionable ones can still be labelled with the \u201cupside\u201d tag.<\/p>\n
Plus, there\u2019s the classic tradition of players showing up to offseason workouts in the best shape of their life \u2014 every single year.<\/p>\n
But although the hype needs to be kept in check at times, there\u2019s no denying that every NFL season comes with a new batch of breakout stars. And if you pay attention, sometimes you can see them coming ahead of time.<\/p>\n
Who could be the Steelers\u2019 breakout player in 2026?<\/p>\n
When it comes to making a first career Pro Bowl or All-Pro team, center Zach Frazier and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. are the obvious picks. Both were near the top tier of their respective positions in 2025, with Frazier once again looking like one of the NFL\u2019s best centers, and Porter ascending to lockdown CB1 status with a career-best 57.2 passer rating when targeted while allowing no touchdowns and breaking up 14 passes.<\/p>\n
But while both players might be underrated on the national stage, it\u2019s fair to say those who watch the Steelers would know both players have already broken out on the field \u2014 the accolades just haven\u2019t caught up yet.<\/p>\n
Instead, I\u2019ll turn to the trenches, where two of the Steelers\u2019 most recent first-round picks are set to take the next step in 2026.<\/p>\n
Tackle Troy Fautanu, drafted in 2024, got his first full season under his belt in 2025 and immediately looked like the Steelers\u2019 best offensive lineman behind Frazier. He had his fair share of \u201cwelcome to the NFL\u201d moments, with veteran edge rushers such as Danielle Hunter and Khalil Mack giving him trouble, but he overwhelmingly looked the part of a first-round tackle. Switching to his college position of left tackle entering 2026, Fautanu is primed to truly become a standout, if he wasn\u2019t already.<\/p>\n
The other candidate I\u2019ll mention \u2014 and perhaps the truest \u201cbreakout\u201d candidate \u2014 would be second-year defensive tackle Derrick Harmon. The team\u2019s first-rounder in 2025, he dealt with some injuries throughout his rookie season but still managed to make a noticeable impact in the team\u2019s run defense numbers, and he added three sacks.<\/p>\n
Harmon wasn\u2019t an immediate star, but his potential was clear, and he should be able to build on his rookie season if he can stay healthy in 2026. A stronger defensive scheme, and better pass coverage behind him, should further maximize his talents and show on the stat sheet.<\/p>\n
Who are your picks for the Steelers\u2019 breakouts in 2026? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments below! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The NFL offseason can be a time of boundless optimism. Teams\u2019 roster moves look more reasonable than not,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":208318,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[73,75,74,4852,27332],"class_list":["post-208317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-pittsburgh","tag-pittsburgh","tag-pittsburgh-headlines","tag-pittsburgh-news","tag-pittsburgh-steelers-commentary","tag-pittsburgh-steelers-discussion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208317","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=208317"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208317\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/208318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=208317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=208317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=208317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}