The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2025 offseason practices concluded in the midst of June and subsequent up is the crew’s annual coaching camp, which can get underway within the latter a part of July at Saint Vincent Faculty in Latrobe. Forward of that, we are going to preview the crew’s offseason roster three gamers at a time. This Steelers roster preview, which incorporates an outlook for each participant, will probably be performed alphabetically by final title to make it simple to comply with. This sequence figures to exceed 90 gamers this yr because the crew can carry 91 gamers in the course of the offseason because of the allowance of 1 worldwide participant designation.
The following three gamers we are going to preview forward of Steelers 2025 coaching camp are Troy Fautanu, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Zach Frazier.
T Troy Fautanu: The Steelers chosen Fautanu within the first spherical of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Washington with the thought of him rapidly changing into a starter at proper sort out. Nonetheless, an early-season knee harm ended Fautanu’s rookie season simply because it was getting began.
Fautanu performed all of 55 snaps in 2024 with all of these coming within the crew’s Week 2 contest, a sport he began at proper sort out. Professional Soccer Focus gave Fautanu an total grade of 64.4 for the restricted snaps he performed as a rookie. His pass-blocking grade was barely higher than his run-blocking grade in that lone contest.
The Steelers shut Fautanu down for the rest of the season after that Week 2 sport on account of him needing surgical procedure to restore ligament harm to a dislocated kneecap.
Whereas there was some hope that Fautanu may finally return late within the season, the crew by no means opened his apply window.
Outlook: Together with his knee harm now presumably behind him, Fautanu is predicted to be the crew’s beginning proper sort out in 2025. That designation ought to imply that the crew’s 2023 first-round choice, Broderick Jones, will lastly flip over to left sort out full time.
Whereas Fautanu primarily performed left sort out at Washington, switching to proper sort out doesn’t appear to be a lot of a priority for him and particularly primarily based on the restricted enjoying time he acquired as a rookie each in the course of the common season and the preseason.
Whereas there must be a whole lot of optimism relating to Fautanu in 2025, he nonetheless has but to play a full NFL sport. The Steelers definitely have to see an enormous bounce from their total offensive line in 2025 and Fautanu will hopefully play an enormous half in that taking place. Fautanu, together with Jones, should do a incredible job relating to defending the sides for brand new QB Aaron Rodgers, who can’t proceed taking massive hits at his age.
S Minkah Fitzpatrick: Whereas he earned one other Professional Bowl choice in 2024, Fitzpatrick didn’t have a fantastic season total. On the very least, it wasn’t a notable one for the veteran security and primarily on account of a scarcity of splash performs made by him as soon as once more.
In complete, Fitzpatrick registered 96 regular-season tackles, one sort out for loss, one interception, 4 passes defensed, and one compelled fumble in 2024. He has totaled simply two takeaways over the course of the final two seasons.
Based on Professional Soccer Focus, Fitzpatrick missed 9 tackles in 2024, and he allowed 31 receptions on 41 targets for 370 yards and 5 touchdowns. Fitzpatrick’s greatest play in the course of the 2024 season appeared to return within the crew’s first six video games.
Fitzpatrick was capable of play in each sport in 2024, and that features the crew’s one playoff contest, and that got here on the heels of him lacking seven contests in the course of the 2023 season on account of accidents. All instructed, Fitzpatrick logged 1,083 defensive snaps in the course of the 2024 common season and 77 extra on particular groups.
Outlook: In 2025, Fitzpatrick will look to flip the narrative that he can now not be an impactful NFL free security and particularly relating to him making splash performs. On the very least, Fitzpatrick must have extra constant play all through the 2025 season, particularly towards the move.
Final season, Fitzpatrick needed to break in a brand new security counterpart in DeShon Elliott, who wound up being one of many crew’s brighter defensive items in his first yr in Pittsburgh. With that first yr of attending to know one another now behind each Fitzpatrick and Elliott, the 2 will probably be anticipated to carry out like top-of-the-line security tandems within the NFL in 2025.
Fitzpatrick gained’t flip 29 till halfway by the 2025 season so he ought to have a number of high quality seasons left in him. Even so, how he performs in 2025 will finally determine if the Steelers attempt to signal him to a different profitable contract extension subsequent offseason, and maybe even one which ends in him being the highest-paid security within the NFL as soon as once more. He’ll have to earn that distinct honor, nevertheless, by having an All-Professional 2025 season and one that features him taking the soccer away from opposing offenses greater than only a few instances.
In closing, the Steelers want Fitzpatrick to be as shut, if not higher than, the 2022 model of himself. Ought to he have a repeat of his 2023 or 2024 seasons, Fitzpatrick’s future in Pittsburgh past the 2025 season will actually be up for query come February.
C Zach Frazier: After being chosen by the Steelers within the second spherical of the 2024 NFL Draft out of West Virginia, Frazier definitely didn’t disappoint. In complete, Frazier logged 976 offensive regular-season snaps throughout his 2024 rookie season as a part of him beginning and enjoying in 15 contests. He did, nevertheless, miss two regular-season video games on account of an ankle harm in 2024. He began and performed each snap within the Steelers’ lone playoff sport final season in addition.
Professional Soccer Focus ranked Frazier as their fourth-best NFL heart in 2024 relating to its total grade. PFF scored him as permitting 12 complete pressures in the course of the common season with only one sack. He was flagged simply 4 instances in 2024 with two of these penalties being ineligibly downfield on a passing play. Solely as soon as was he flagged for holding.
General, it was an astounding rookie season for Frazier, who was the crew’s beginning heart proper from the start. His play within the crew’s lone playoff sport was fairly glorious.
Outlook: Shifting into his second NFL season, Frazier nonetheless has room to develop into a good higher heart, and probably even a Professional Bowl and All-Professional choice at that. He’ll have a brand new quarterback to get used to in veteran Aaron Rodgers, however that shouldn’t be an enormous impediment for him to beat.
At this level, Frazier simply must fine-tune his sport relating to each his run and move blocking. There’s no purpose to suppose that he gained’t be one of many highest graded facilities within the NFL on a week-to-week foundation in 2025. Clearly, it will be nice to see Frazier play each sport in 2025 as properly.
The Steelers have invested so much in recent times of their offensive line in draft picks and as of proper now, Frazier appears to be an enormous hit and probably a participant who will man the center of the crew’s offensive line for years to return. He must be an thrilling Steelers participant to look at in his second NFL season.
Earlier Posts In This Sequence:
90 In 30: Steelers 2025 Coaching Camp Preview Sequence — Calvin Anderson, Spencer Anderson, Calvin Austin III
90 In 30: Steelers 2025 Coaching Camp Preview Sequence — Keeanu Benton, Beanie Bishop Jr., Yahya Black
90 In 30: Steelers 2025 Coaching Camp Preview Sequence — Chris Boswell, Nick Broeker, Carson Bruener
90 In 30: Steelers 2025 Coaching Camp Preview Sequence — Sebastian Castro, Dylan Cook dinner, Domenique Davis
90 In 30: Steelers 2025 Coaching Camp Preview Sequence — Brandin Echols, Daniel Ekuale, DeShon Elliott
