One of the strengths of West Virginia center Zach Frazier, considered one of the best centers in the 2024 NFL Draft, is his nastiness and the real edge he brings to the game.
While he has seemingly been forgotten about just a bit when it comes to the interest at the center position for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the conversation surrounding Duke’s Graham Barton and Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson, former NFL offensive lineman and longtime analyst Brian Baldinger loves the edge that Frazier plays with.
A big reason why Baldinger is a fan of Frazier? His violent hands.
In a video clip posted to Twitter of Frazier against Penn State during the 2023 season, Baldinger praised Frazier’s violent hands, which helped him thrive during his time in college, especially last season.
“Watch Zach Frazier. You don’t have to go too long without watching him just crush somebody. I like violent hands. That’s what violent hands look like,” Baldinger said of Frazier in the video clip, according to Baldinger’s Twitter account. “Like, they start crawling on the ground, trying to get back up. Gimme a center with some violent hands. Zach Frazier, state wrestling champion. Like, you gotta get excited watching Zach Frazier play football. I know I do.”
It’s not a surprise that Baldinger gets excited watching Frazier play football. He fits exactly the style that seems to get Baldinger going throughout the season on a weekly basis.
He’s not the biggest center, but he’s a powerful player and brings a real edge to the position, one that shows up on tape and endears himself to teammates. He’s a true football player, one that is seemingly self-made and one that has earned quite a bit of praise throughout the pre-draft process.
Recently, OL guru Duke Manyweather called Frazier a Mike Webster-type center that has Steeler written all over him, which lines up on tape.
In his scouting report of Frazier for Steelers Depot, Alex Kozora compared the West Virginia standout to a Ben Jones-type center, just a rough-and-tumble player who is rock solid, if unspectacular.
“Overall, Frazier is a solid player with a well-rounded game. His floor is high, and in a man/inside zone scheme, he should thrive. While he lacks the physical traits to potentially be a high-end center — he doesn’t have the athleticism of a Creed Humphrey — Frazier is a strong prospect. It’d be great to see him become the next Nick Mangold, but my NFL comp will settle on Ben Jones, a tough and rock-solid dude in the middle but never an All-Star.”
That seems to be the general consensus with Frazier. He brings a lot to the table that many look for at the center position from a hearts and smarts standpoint while also playing with that clear edge, setting the tone up front. But he’s limited athletically, which could hinder where he goes in the 2024 NFL Draft.
There has been some buzz about the potential first round with Frazier, making him one of the more interesting draft prospects here early in the 2024 NFL Draft. Those violent hands that Baldinger loves should have teams late in the first round and early on Day Two eyeing adding the Mountaineer to the lineup.
