Two offensive line prospects the Pittsburgh Steelers have shown interest in made o-line trainer and guru Duke Manyweather’s superlatives list. Joining Up and Adams with Kay Adams Thursday morning, Manyweather believes Zach Frazier is the best run blocker in the 2024 draft.
“I think Zach Frazier had around 147 knockdown blocks,” Manyweather told Adams. “I think Zach Frazier’s one of those guys, he can make every block from the center position and he’s just a brick house. You look at him and what he did in his wrestling background, he’s pretty special.”
With a wrestling background, Frazier knows how to use his hands, understands leverage, and knows how to knock an opponent off balance. He was one of West Virginia’s best high school wrestlers in history, a four-time champion who lost only two matches his entire career, one of which due to an illegal move in a match he was winning. Frazier isn’t the biggest or longest player but he’s stout and tough, making his way back from a broken leg to snap individually during the Senior Bowl and go through Combine and Pro Day workouts.
Our scouting report noted his rugged attitude and summed him up as someone who simply got the job done.
“Frazier might not be the biggest guy but he’s an impactful and steady run blocker. He plays with proper pad level and leverage, drives his feet, and shows torque on contact when he’s able to be the aggressor and make first contact. Frazier’s coordinated and balanced and rarely on the ground, able to wash, steer, and drive defenders in the run game. It might not be overwhelming but it’s effective.”
A sentiment shared by scouts, one of whom compared Frazier to Creed Humphrey. Pittsburgh could come away with one of the top three centers in the NFL draft, Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson and Duke’s Graham Barton joining Frazier. Manyweather also mentioned Oregon State OT Taliese Fuaga as another top run blocker of the class, a prospect who came in for one of the Steelers’ pre-draft visits.
Manyweather was asked to name his top sleeper among the offensive linemen. He answered with another name the Steelers have shown interest in, South Dakota State guard/center Mason McCormick.
“There’s a lot of really small school guys that I think could be a steal of the draft,” he said. “I think Mason McCormick out of South Dakota State is a guy that could be a steal of the draft.”
McCormick was one of the Steelers’ final pre-draft visitors. With elite experience having 70 games under his belt, he brings size at 6042, 309 pounds with long arms and top-notch athleticism. A late Day 2-Day 3 candidate, our scouting report praised his run blocking but noted his need to improve in pass protection.
