While most seem to agree that the Pittsburgh Steelers made the correct decision taking T Troy Fautanu in the first round, many also seem to prefer second-round C Zach Frazier as their favorite move. It helps that the Steelers had an incumbent starter at tackle and no viable options at center. But he also, therefore, has the clearest path to playing time and making an impact. Brooke Pryor of ESPN believes he will do exactly that, more than any other rookie on the roster, as she talked about on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show.
They have not had a very consistent center since [Maurkice] Pouncey retired. That has been an area that they have tried to convert Kendrick Green from guard to center. That didn’t go well. They brought in Mason Cole hoping that he would be a leader and a consistent center, and he had trouble cleanly snapping the ball last year, which is kind of a big deal for a center. So I think that Zach Frazier with all of the college experience that he had, that’s the guy who’s gonna plug in, be a Day-1 starter, and be the thing that really gets this offensive line turned around and going in the right direction.
Most agreed that center was the Steelers’ biggest need entering the draft, but teams just don’t draft centers that early. They likely strongly considered Graham Barton 20th overall, maybe even Frazier as well. But Fautanu falling made for a more enticing option. Barton ultimately lasted another six picks, and the next “center”, Jackson Powers-Johnson, went to the Raiders in the second round as a guard.
The Steelers managed to select Zach Frazier with the 51st overall pick as the second player drafted to play center. And he is the most experienced of the entire class at that position, as well. They believe he is a plug-and-play center, likely the most surefire of their selections.
Fautanu is likely a plug-and-play starter as well, but not as simply, especially given the position switch moving him from left to right tackle. Third-round WR Roman Wilson has to earn his playing time, as does ILB Payton Wilson. But Zach Frazier probably plays the first snaps of OTAs at center.
Because what other options do they have? Nobody on the current roster has ever played a snap at center for the Steelers before. Mason Cole accounted for every snap last season, and J.C. Hassenauer from 2022 is long gone. So Zach Frazier is competing with the likes of Nate Herbig and Spencer Anderson, if he competes at all.
Indeed, they may very well hand Frazier the starting job like they did with Maurkice Pouncey back in 2010. The Steelers gave incumbent Justin Hartwig a few OTAs with first-team reps out of respect before making the switch.
In this case, they don’t even have an incumbent, or even a player who has a substantial center background. Unless they put Ryan McCollum out there instead, Frazier may be the only rookie on the field with the ones at the start of OTAs. And he may be there for the next decade as well.
