Zach Frazier embodies the phrase every coach and fan wants to hear. “As-advertised.” And Arthur Smith isn’t afraid to sing a rookie’s praises. Speaking with reporters Tuesday, Smith complimented Frazier’s readiness. Which is good considering he’s slated to be the Pittsburgh Steelers starting center after Nate Herbig tore his rotator cuff.
“I think he’s very mature guy,” Smith told reporters of Frazier via Yardbarker’s Aaron Becker. “You’re gonna ask your center to do a lot, but I’d say of any rookie, he’s probably the most prepped. And we thought that when we drafted him and since he’s been in this building, he’s as-advertised.
“It’s unfortunate what happened to Nate. The reality is the ball’s gonna kick off, Sunday, I believe it’s September 8th at 1 o’clock in Atlanta. And we gotta be ready to roll. But I’ve been impressed with Zach’s maturity.”
Herbig was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, officially ending his season.
Frazier was drafted in part due to his college experience, a trait that separated him from the other top centers in this year’s class. Unlike Duke’s Graham Barton or Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson, Frazier was a center for most of his career after playing guard his first season. He logged over 2,500 snaps at center while at West Virginia. Technically sound with a humble attitude, the Steelers jumped on the chance to draft him while he was still on the board for their second round pick.
Overall, the returns on the Steelers’ three drafted rookie linemen have been promising. Troy Fautanu’s knee injury sidetracked his strong camp while OG Mason McCormick has been steady and impressive. All three came to the NFL older and highly-experienced, reducing their NFL learning curve.
Right guard James Daniels, now lining next to Frazier, each snap, praised him for doing a “good job,” per Becker.
Zach Frazier ran as the team’s No. 2 center for most of training camp but saw a slice of first-team reps following the preseason opener where Herbig and QB Justin Fields had issues. Frazier has been solid down the middle with clean snaps throughout camp and in both preseason games. Pittsburgh hasn’t been shy about giving him chances to sink or swim, logging an offense-high 88 snaps through the first two weeks, and he’s kept his head above water.
He’ll be the Steelers’ starting center in Week 1, facing off against talented Falcons’ veteran Grady Jarrett. It’ll be a difficult matchup that will stress Frazier’s athleticism. But he’s passed every test so far and has the makings of someone who won’t just start for the Steelers in the opener but for a long time.
