When the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted three offensive linemen over their first five picks of the 2024 NFL Draft, second-round C Zach Frazier was expected to make the most immediate impact. That is exactly what he has done through the first three games of the season.
His play in Week 1 was as solid of a debut as you will ever see from an offensive lineman, with countless pancake blocks and knockdowns. He followed that up in Week 3 with another dominant performance against a pretty solid defensive front for the Los Angeles Chargers.
This earned the attention of Peter Schrager on Good Morning Football as he listed his top five rookie performances of Week 3. Frazier came in at the No. 4 spot.
“Frazier dominant again in another game for this Pittsburgh rushing attack,” Schrager said. “Frazier, we talk about PFF all the time, we talk about their grading system. They gave him an 88.8 out of 100, one of the best you’ll find. And he absolutely mauled and manhandled this Los Angeles Chargers offensive line.”
Here is just one example of what Schrager is talking about. Frazier has an innate ability to latch onto defenders and bury them into the ground as he did so often in Week 1.
These top-five lists are typically dominated by skill-position players, so it is all the more impressive that a center is garnering this type of attention.
Speaking of PFF grades, Frazier has a very solid 76.8 overall grade for the season, which is the seventh-best grade among NFL centers. They have him down for three pressures allowed and zero sacks.
Michael Robinson was a big fan of Frazier’s inclusion on Schrager’s list.
“I believe in this kid’s future. He’s gonna change the Pittsburgh Steelers’ run game because he can pull. He’s gonna be able to get out in front,” Robinson said. “Think Jason Kelce from the Eagles getting out in front of running backs, pulling and things like that.”
Omar Khan said one of their offseason goals was to find the next great Steelers center. It seems like Zach Frazier is on track to fit that description.
