The Pittsburgh Steelers draft haul was regarded as one of the best in the NFL, and one of the key pieces was second-round pick Zach Frazier, a West Virginia product who can slide right in as Pittsburgh’s starting center. Just 15 picks before the Steelers took Frazier, the Washington Commanders took DL Johnny Newton out of Illinois, a player who was expected to go in the first round but slid into the second. Frazier also had some first-round buzz heading into the draft, and the matchup between the two talented second-round picks was named one of the best rookie matchups of the season by The Athletic’s Chris Burke.
“We head back over the ball and find two of the NFL Draft world’s favorite Day 2 prospects — Frazier ranked 34th on Brugler’s final board; Newton ranked 28th and had a borderline first-round grade. Frazier already can be penciled in as the Steelers’ starting center, assuming he doesn’t suffer any setbacks returning from the broken leg that ended his final season at West Virginia (and limited his pre-draft workouts). Newton has injury issues himself — he’s scheduled for a second surgery on his foot. He’ll also have to steal some snaps from Washington’s stalwart DT combo of Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.”
Frazier should be healthy and ready to go, and he was working out at the team’s rookie minicamp, so there shouldn’t be any issues with his broken leg. Newton suffered a Jones fracture in his foot, meaning he now has had one in each of his two feet, so depending on his recovery, he might not be healthy for the Week 10 matchup. But if he is, he’ll likely cycle into Washington’s interior defensive line along with Payne and Allen, who are two of the best players at the position.
Given how talented the interior of Washington’s line is, it’s going to be a fun matchup to watch whether or not Newton plays since it’ll be a legitimate test for Frazier. The Week 10 matchup is also Pittsburgh’s last game before a brutal slate of six AFC North games in their final eight to close the season, and it’s a game where getting some momentum will be crucial. The Steelers and Frazier should be well-rested coming off their Week 9 bye, and hopefully, Pittsburgh’s rookie center can prove his worth throughout the season and leave no questions about him potentially being the team’s center of the future.
