If the Atlanta Falcons defensive line was expecting some rookie mistakes from Zach Frazier, they were sorely mistaken. That is not what happened at all. Sure, there were the two botched snaps at the beginning of the game, but it is up for debate who is at fault between Frazier and QB Justin Fields. That aside, he had a fantastic rookie debut.
He played all 69 of the Steelers’ offensive snaps. This included 38 run-blocking snaps and 31 pass-blocking snaps. According to Pro Football Focus, Frazier graded out well with a 70.1 overall grade. He had an 83.3 pass-blocking grade and a 66.0 run-blocking grade with zero pressures allowed over those 31 passing plays.
Let’s take a look at the tape from Sunday’s victory over the Falcons and add some context to those grades.
Right off the bat, on one of the first plays of the game, Frazier was tasked with blocking Grady Jarrett. He is in his 10th season and is a former second-team All-Pro and multi-time Pro Bowler.
Frazier had a great rep against him on the below play. He landed his punches in the perfect spots, attacked Jarrett’s inside shoulder, and dug him out of the hole. You can see right away that Jarrett was frustrated after this play by the extra shoves he gave Frazier after the whistle.
If you like pancake blocks, Frazier’s Week 1 tape is for you! There were a lot of them. Frazier’s wrestling background gives him a great understanding of leverage. He has great latch strength, too, so if he lands his punches in the right areas, defenders have a very hard time disengaging from the block.
Below are a few of those pancakes.
This one was on a wide-zone run play. He landed his punch right to the defender’s chest plate and drove his feet until he dumped him on the ground.
It was kind of a similar play here in the other direction, but Jarrett initially had the upper hand with a long arm to Frazier’s chest. As Jarrett tried to see where the ball was going, Frazier dug in and drove him out of the play and into the ground.
This is a great example of why linemen should always drive their feet and block through the whistle. On this play, Frazier plants another defensive lineman on their rear end by landing a punch with his inside arm and driving his feet. This creates a cutback lane that Najee Harris goes through for a big gain.
I counted at least six plays where a defensive lineman he blocked ended up on their back or dropped down to a knee.
Frazier also showed the ability to climb to the second level and take on linebackers. On this play, he almost played the part of a defensive lineman to get past the defensive tackle into the second level. He did a push-pull move that made the DT fall to the ground, and then he kicked out the inside linebacker. Justin Fields had a chance for a bigger gain here if he went to his right instead of his left.
As I mentioned earlier, Frazier also held up well as a pass blocker. He wasn’t tested much in one-on-one situations, but he showed a nice anchor and his latch strength with his hands helps him stay in control.
In summary, he had a fantastic rookie debut for the Steelers. Many people said he is a high-floor guy without all-pro potential. He may not have the high-end athleticism that some other centers do, but his technique is already really good, and he is able to generate a lot of power with his hands and hips. I think the Steelers found a good one.
