Troy Fautanu is getting most of the praise out of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ rookie offensive linemen, but Zach Frazier may be steadily improving as camp progresses. Frazier was considered the most pro-ready center coming out of the draft, and while he’s currently sitting behind Nate Herbig on the depth chart, he might be taking that center job sooner rather than later. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith offered some praise Thursday for the rookie.
“The good thing is you don’t even notice him because he’s operating so cleanly,” Smith said per Mike DeFabo of The Athletic on Twitter. “We’ve seen that the last couple of days and that’s a positive. He’s been stout in the middle.”
Stout is exactly what the Steelers need from their center as the position has been a disaster since Maurkice Pouncey retired. Kendrick Green was drafted in 2021 to be his replacement, and that did not go well at all. Mason Cole was brought in as a veteran option, but he struggled on the field and injuries only served to hamper him more. Frazier could finally present the solution to the Steelers’ problem.
Per the team’s transcript, Smith spoke a little more about the overall play of the rest of the centers and rookie offensive linemen, providing more positive reports.
“I think we’ve had really good communication from all our centers, with Nate [Herbig], Zach [Frazier], and then Ryan McCollum. That’s important especially as we’re mixing and matching quarterbacks. That’s putting stress on centers too. Mason [McCormick], I like where he’s at playing guard, and the technique and things we’re changing with him, and Troy [Fautanu] as well.”
Smith’s overall praise of the rookie linemen tracks with all the reports coming out of camp. While Fautanu has flashed the most and Frazier seems to be continuing to improve, McCormick has also been impressing coaches. The three of them should finally make the Steelers offensive line a strength again, although they may not all start right away, but being patient with him is important.
However, if Frazier isn’t ready, then there’s no need to throw him into the fire. According to Alex Kozora’s camp report from Wednesday, Frazier has been struggling against more powerful rushers. If he’s having a tough time with guys like Montravius Adams and Breiden Fehoko, then maybe he should sit to start the year. Herbig seems to be playing well so far, and if he’s earned the job, then he should get the first crack at it.
Based on Smith’s comments though, it sounds like Frazier has been improving every day at camp. That’s to be expected of a rookie as well. The NFL is a totally different ballgame compared to college, and it should take some time to get used to the quality of players he’ll be facing.
If Frazier doesn’t immediately start, it doesn’t mean he was a waste of a draft pick. The Steelers have proven that they know what they’re doing when it comes to letting rookies sit versus immediately starting them. Sometimes starting a guy just to start him is worse for his development long-term. We’ll see how Frazier performs with the preseason almost here. If he manages to continue improving as Smith says, then he shouldn’t be on the bench for too long.
