Maurkice Pouncey. Dermontti Dawson. Mike Webster. Ray Mansfield. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ history at the center position is second to none when it comes to the rest of the NFL, and with the team’s selection of West Virginia C Zach Frazier in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, he’ll look to add his name to the list of historic Steelers centers. In a conference call with Pittsburgh media after being selected by the Steelers, Frazier said that it’s “special” to join the tradition of Steelers offensive linemen.
“I know how much O-line means to the Pittsburgh Steelers and their long tradition there of having great offensive linemen and great offensive lines, so it’s special,” Frazier said via Chris Adamski of TribLive on Twitter.
Frazier certainly has the toughness required to be a Steelers offensive lineman, as he crawled off the field to save his team a timeout after breaking his leg in what ended up being his last collegiate game. He was considered among the top three potential centers in the draft along with Graham Barton, who went in the first round to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Jackson Powers-Johnson, who went to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 44 overall, just a few picks before the Steelers took Frazier.
With the Pittsburgh Steelers also taking OT Troy Fautanu in the first round, the offensive line is clearly a focus for the team and it is looking to get back to winning in the trenches. Center has been a need ever since the team released Mason Cole back in February, and the Steelers land one of the best centers in the draft in Frazier, who will look to be the next great Steelers center.
Back in March, GM Omar Khan told SiriusXM NFL Radio at the NFL Scouting Combine that the goal was to find the next great center this offseason, and Frazier’s 2,606 snaps at center in college give him the requisite experience to potentially be that guy for the Steelers. He had the most center snaps of any of the top centers in the class, and at 6025 and 313 pounds he has ideal size for the position. Frazier worked out at the Big 12 Pro Day and had a pre-draft local visit with the Steelers. Also, assistant offensive line coach Isaac Williams was at the Big 12 Pro Day, so the Steelers did plenty of homework on Frazier. He also met with the team at the Senior Bowl despite not participating.
Frazier will likely be in a competition with Nate Herbig to start at center, but it would be a surprise if Frazier wasn’t viewed as a plug-and-play starter for the team. Hopefully, he can live up to the tradition and be the next elite center in Pittsburgh.
