The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the richest histories in the NFL when it comes to the center position, including Hall of Fame players Mike Webster and Dermontti Dawson, as well as potential Hall of Famer Maurkice Pouncey. At this moment, the Steelers would probably give up every draft pick they have to get one of those guys on the team right now. After releasing Mason Cole earlier this offseason, the Steelers have done nothing to fill their void at center. Luckily for them, the NFL draft this year has multiple high-upside center prospects. Their biggest issue may come with choosing the right one.
Two popular names linked to the Steelers throughout the pre-draft process have been Duke’s Graham Barton and West Virginia’s Zach Frazier. Barton, while being listed as an offensive tackle, has played center in the past and projects best there at the NFL level. Frazier, on the other hand, is a true center and an accomplished high school wrestler, a trait which has been linked to success in the past with other offensive linemen like Tampa Bay’s Tristan Wirfs.
Frazier is a player the Steelers can potentially select in the second round if they choose to pass on Barton, but former General Manager Rick Spielman would be skeptical about that decision, as he said on his podcast With The First Pick.
”That’s what you’re having in these meetings. ‘Hey, we’ve got an opportunity to take Graham Barton, but I haven’t seen him play center. We’re projecting him to center. We know what this guy is,’” Spielman said when asked by his co-host Ryan Wilson if the Steelers would be more inclined to take Barton if they weren’t sure if Frazier would be ready to start immediately. “Graham Barton probably has a higher ceiling than Zach Frazier. I think Zach Frazier will be a, probably a good to moderate NFL starter. I don’t think he’ll have a Pro Bowl-type career, where you may hit on a Graham Barton as a potential Pro Bowler.”
Based on where many analysts with league sources have placed Barton versus Frazier in mock drafts, it seems that Spielman is correct in saying that Barton’s potential may be too good for some teams to pass up. Spielman spent 10 seasons as the GM for the Minnesota Vikings, so his evaluation and input should be valued. The Steelers are more than likely having a similar conversation among themselves, as Barton offers more versatility and upside but Frazier could be closer to a sure thing.
There’s also no guarantee Frazier falls to the Steelers’ pick in the second round, which could sway them more toward taking Barton if he’s available for them in the first round. The Steelers’ offensive line has seen more change recently than it did while they were a consistent playoff team. The team had similar issues during the middle of Ben Roethlisberger’s career, and the solution it came up with was to draft Pouncey with the 18th pick of the draft in 2010. Could Barton be the kind of tone-setter that Pouncey was? Or could Frazier fill that role while allowing the team to also get a high-quality offensive tackle? Either way, the Steelers cannot walk out of the draft without upgrading at center in some way.
