The Pittsburgh Steelers had a very strong draft class top to bottom under GM Omar Khan, adding a number of potential impact players ahead of the 2024 season.
Some of those impact players in the draft class are guys who could be Day 1 starters, like center Zach Frazier and offensive tackle Troy Fautanu, not to mention wide receiver Roman Wilson.
Yet, despite this potential impact players and Day 1 starters in the draft class, the Steelers are not projected to see any of their rookies on the offensive side of the football land on the All-Rookie team. Based on projections from NFL.com’s Chad Reuter, no Steelers will be on the All-Rookie team.
Both Fautanu and Frazier were left off the All-Rookie team projected by Reuter, as the NFL draft analyst chose Los Angeles Chargers OT Joe Alt and Tennessee Titans OT JC Latham over Fautanu, and chose Tampa Bay’s Graham Barton over Frazier at center.
Of course, Alt and Latham were top-10 picks in the draft, so it’s easy to project them as All-Rookie players. But Fautanu, assuming he starts rather quickly at the right tackle position, was considered one of the top offensive linemen in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Fautanu falling to No. 20 to the Steelers was a blessing. He’s a perfect fit for Pittsburgh’s run-heavy approach under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, giving the Steelers a nasty, physical presence at right tackle as a bookend to Broderick Jones at left tackle.
Inside though at center, projecting Barton over Frazier as an All-Rookie center seems like a bit of a stretch.
Yes, Barton is a great athlete, one who was undoubtedly in discussion at No. 20 for the Steelers. But he is changing positions from tackle in college to center, a position he last played in 2020 as a freshman, where he stepped in midway through the season due to injury.
Now, he is headed to Tampa Bay where the offensive line continues to be turned over and rebuilt. Pittsburgh’s offensive line is undergoing the same transformation, but where Frazier has a leg up over Barton is the fact that he’ll be playing between two experienced, veteran guards in Isaac Seumalo and James Daniels who can help his transition to the NFL, whereas Barton will be playing between Cody Mauch and Ben Bredeson, not exactly strong veteran play.
Barton might be the better athlete and have the higher ceiling long-term, but Frazier is ready-made for center in the NFL after playing 2,600-plus snaps there at West Virginia.
Add that he’s stepping into an offense with veteran experience around him and a style that suits him perfectly in a run-heavy approach, Frazier should be successful immediately.
If Frazier is successful immediately, he should be right there in the discussion for the All-Rookie team, even above Barton.
