Omar Khan got his guys. It just took some breathing exercises to get there. Khan admitted he was sweating out Washington OT Troy Fautanu falling to the team at No. 20 in the first round, projected by many to go inside the Top 15. A similar story played out in the second round, West Virginia C Zach Frazier falling to them at No. 51. But with Graham Barton gone in the first round and Oregon Jackson Powers-Johnson selected 44th by the Las Vegas Raiders, Frazier was the last top center before a drop off in the class.
Speaking with reporters following the team’s final selection of Texas DB Ryan Watts, Khan admits there were some tense moments before the Steelers went on the clock. And there were discussions about trading up to snag Frazier, though that ultimately didn’t happen and wasn’t needed.
“We had conversations about moving up,” Khan said via the team’s YouTube channel. “And the phone was ringing about moving down.”
Pittsburgh stayed with the pick, which meant Khan was crossing his fingers that Frazier wouldn’t be taken by a center-needy team or swept up in the flurry of trades that occurred in front of them.
“I would say that is accurate,” Khan said when asked if he was anxiously waiting to get on the clock. “Those seven minutes were going pretty slow. Excited to have him. He’s a Steeler.”
Ultimately, the Steelers didn’t make any trades—up or down—after making two in Khan’s first year as GM. In 2023, he moved up three spots in the first round to land Georgia OT Broderick Jones and later moved down in the third round to recoup the fourth-rounder he gave up for Jones. But the board once again broke well for Pittsburgh, whose focus was on improving the offensive line in every aspect—tackle, guard, and center.
Zach Frazier is expected to have a great chance to open the season as the team’s starting center, one of the team’s top areas of need. An old-school center, his experience of nearly 3,000 snaps makes him the class’ most Day One-ready player in the draft.
In the end, Pittsburgh found a way to get their tackle, even if Troy Fautanu’s position is a little unclear on the left or right side and they still grabbed one of the top centers in the class. It’s hard to be mad about that.
