With the 51st pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected West Virginia center Zach Frazier. After Frazier fell out of the first-round and slipped all the way to No. 51, he became a no-brainer selection for the Steelers. Frazier is the type of center who fits new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s offense: tough, rugged, experienced, and a culture-changer and leader.
A three-star recruit from Fairmont, W.V., Frazier stayed local and chose the Mountaineers over Stanford, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest among other schools. In high school, Frazier was an elite wrestler, a four-time state champion in the heavyweight division. He sported a career 159-2 record, losing 1-0 as a freshman and the other due to an illegal move while leading a match 8-0. As a junior, 34 of his 38 of his matches ended in pins. He once said he wrestled primarily to become a better football player and earlier this year, cited his leverage and balance as things he learned from the sport. Frazier got married in May 2023.
A high school guard, Zach Frazier kept that spot in 2020 with West Virginia, starting nine games at left guard. But coaches shifted him to center for 2021 and he never looked back, making 37 starts in the middle. A rare left-handed snapper (joining the likes of Kansas City’s Creed Humphrey, whom the Steelers twice passed on in 2021), he anchored the Mountaineers’ offense, an All-Big 12 first-team selection in 2022 and 2023 while making the AP’s third-team list in his final season. His career ended on a difficult note, Frazier suffering a fractured leg late in the season. Even in the moment, he displayed toughness, attempting to crawl off the field to save West Virginia from using a timeout late in the game.
The injury impacted his pre-draft process, leading to extensive medical testing at the NFL Scouting Combine, but his rehab seemingly has gone well. Though he didn’t practice fully, Frazier snapped on the side during the Senior Bowl, went through on-field drills at the Combine, and tested at the Big 12 Conference Pro Day. He weighed in at 6025, 315 pounds with 32 1/4-inch arms. His numbers were middling though a lack of training coming off his injury may have impacted the results.
On tape, Zach Frazier is an old-school blocker who simply gets the job done. Our scouting report noted his strong upper body, impactful punch, and ability to run his feet and finish in the run game. His overall game displays balance and coordination, and he sat well in his stance in pass protection while showing violence with his punch. Negatively, Frazier isn’t an elite athlete who can struggle to reach and cut off defensive tackles shaded to his outside. He also catches too many blocks in pass protection, putting him on his heels.
Our NFL comp landed on Ben Jones, a solid though not spectacular center coached by Arthur Smith in Tennessee. Smith praised Jones as one of his favorite players. It’s no surprise for the Steelers to fall in love with Frazier and make him their second-round selection. With such an obvious need at center, Frazier is likely ticketed as a Day 1 starter, though the team may at least publicly frame it as a competition between him and Nate Herbig.
Barring a trade, the Steelers will pick again in the third round at No. 84 overall. They also hold the 98th overall selection.
Check out our scouting report on Zach Frazier below.
