After being connected to him throughout the pre-draft process, the Pittsburgh Steelers sat tight in the second round and landed West Virginia center Zach Frazier at No. 51 overall, addressing a massive need.
In the process, the Steelers landed the best pure center in the class, at least according to offensive line guru and trainer Duke Manyweather.
Manyweather, who trains a number of NFL offensive lineman and NFL draft hopefuls — including Frazier — praised the Steelers for the selection of the West Virginia product Friday night.
“Steelers, you just got the best center in the draft!!!!!” Manyweather wrote on Twitter following the Steelers’ selection of Frazier.
This isn’t the first time Manyweather has spoken glowingly of Frazier. Last week, Manyweather appeared on the Up and Adams Show with Kay Adams and said that Frazier had some Mike Webster-like traits, which certainly raised some eyebrows.
Now, Frazier is a member of the Black and Gold.
Pittsburgh showed quite a bit of interest in Frazier throughout the pre-draft process, meeting with him at the Big 12 Pro Day. Assistant offensive line coach Isaac Williams was in attendance to watch Frazier’s workout as he recovered from a broken leg suffered in the final game of the season against Baylor.
Then, late in the process the Steelers brought Frazier in for a visit, checking another key box in the pre-draft process for the Steelers and potential draft picks.
Frazier plugs a major need for the Steelers at the center position. Pittsburgh opened up that hole at the position by cutting Mason Cole in late February after two seasons as a starter in the Steel City. The Steelers never addressed the position in free agency or via trade, leading to some major concerns entering the draft. But then, the Steelers were able to sit tight and land Frazier, plugging the hole immediately.
We’ll see if he’s the best center in the class like Manyweather believes. He’s a tough player overall, and a smart one, too. He’s on the smaller side, but he brings a real toughness to his game and with a wrestling background should do quite well in the trenches.
