1998 NFL Draft. He saw limited playing time at first but injuries to fellow Steelers Will Wolford and Jim Sweeney allowed him to get his first start against the Cincinnati Bengals. He earned the Joe Greene Award as the team's top rookie. In 1999 against the Cleveland Browns he was having a bad season debut before leaving the game at halftime, after suffering a left ankle injury late in the second quarter of the game and played the rest of the first half after sustaining the injury but did not play during the second half. Against Baltimore Ravens he returned from his ankle injury but was replaced in the second half by Roger Duffy. One of his best games of the season was against the Cincinnati Bengals helping to pave the way for Jerome Bettis first 100-yard game of that season. Against the Carolina Panthers helped pave the way for Bettis season-high 137 yards rushing and the Steelers second-highest rushing performance of the season. In 2000, Faneca helped the Steelers rank fourth in the league in rushing, one of only 10 teams to compile more than 2,000 yards rushing in 2000. He had his best season to date when he was named a starter in the 2002 Pro Bowl his first selection to the squad, and also was named All-Pro by the Associated Press, The Sporting News, Sports Illustrated and Football Digest, and was named to Pro Football Weekly's-All-NFL team. He had an offseason surgery on his right wrist and missed some playing time during the teams preseason. In the 2002 season he was named to Pro Football Weekly All-NFL and All-AFC team. Also selected to the USA Today Sports Weekly's All-Pro team was voted to his second consecutive Pro Bowl In 2003, he switched positions from left guard to left tackle due to injuries, helping teammate Amos Zereoué to three 100-yard performances during the season. He helped running backs Jerome Bettis, Duce Staley, and Willie Parker set individual and team rushing records, as well as propelling the Steelers to Super Bowl XL in Detroit, in which Pittsburgh defeated the Seattle Seahawks 21–10. He helped spring Parker to a 75-yard touchdown run that is currently the longest run in Super Bowl history. In the 2007 season he helped quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to a perfect passer rating of 158.3 and Najeh Davenport to 123 rushing yards in Week 16 at St.