Not everything has gone right for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the trenches offensively this summer, particularly in the preseason.
Injuries and poor play have really hindered the Steelers’ rebuilt offensive line, leading to many questions and frustration with veteran OL coach Pat Meyer.
But the Steelers can take some comfort in the fact that rookie center Zach Frazier has been as advertised, performing like that true franchise center moving forward that many believe he is.
That includes offensive line guru and Trench Warfare creator Brandon Thorn.
In a piece for Trench Warfare Monday evening, Thorn named Frazier the best rookie offensive lineman of the preseason and called him a “quality starter out of the gate” for the Black and Gold at a key position.
“My pick for the best rookie blocker from the preseason goes to Frazier, who made a smooth transition from his time at West Virginia to his first few games as a pro,” Thorn writes for Trench Warfare. “He made an immediate impact against the Texans in Week 1. His renowned play strength and finishing skills as a run blocker were on full display. Frazier is sturdy at the point of attack, rarely ceding ground and regularly uprooting his target before latching, steering and finishing in full control.
“He followed Week 1 up with his 43 snaps in Week 2 against the Bills (including reps against some starters), showcasing the same imposing, commanding ability. He wrapped up the preseason playing 19 snaps against the Lions and made the key block against fellow rookie DT Mekhi Wingo to spring a 31-yard touchdown.”
During the preseason, Frazier played 103 total snaps, including 19 in the preseason finale against the Detroit Lions, exiting quickly with the rest of the starters after two scoring drives.
Prior to that, Frazier found himself playing heavy snaps against the Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills as he continued to adjust to the NFL and really establish himself for the Steelers.
Though he stepped into the starting role at center due to Nate Herbig’s season-ending shoulder injury, Frazier was on a good trajectory to become the starter eventually — maybe even before the start of the regular season — due to his performance on the field.
As head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith stated multiple times throughout the summer, Frazier — along with the rest of the rookie offensive linemen — were as advertised. That showed up in the tape, too.
The play strength that was a huge positive coming out of West Virginia showed up right away, as did his functional athleticism on the interior. Both were on display on the 31-yard touchdown by Cordarrelle Patterson against the Lions. Frazier and veteran guard Isaac Seumalo worked well together on a combination block, allowing Frazier to turn and seal the defensive tackle and Seumalo to come off the block and climb to the second level to seal the linebacker, creating a huge runway for Patterson.
The block Frazier landed on the play was a clear example of just what he brings to the pivot for the Steelers, which is a high level of play.
“Frazier was battling Nate Herbig for the starting center spot before Herbig went down with a season-ending shoulder injury during the last training camp practice, but it is safe to say that Frazier would’ve eventually wrestled the job from him,” Thorn writes. “Frazier was one of ‘my guys’ from this draft.
“So far, he looks like a quality starter out of the gate for the Steelers.”
In those 103 snaps in the preseason, that was very much the case for Frazier. He graded out at a 69.8 overall from Pro Football Focus in the preseason, including a 65.1 against the run and an 82.3 as a pass blocker. In 50 pass blocking reps, Frazier didn’t allow a single pressure, too.
That’s quite impressive.
He may never be an All-Pro center, but he’s going to be a very steady, consistent player for the Steelers. That will be monumental for the Steelers at the pivot, a position they’ve struggled to address since the retirement of Maurkice Pouncey.
