Pittsburgh Steelers C Zach Frazier debuted with a bang in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons. He spent enough time pancaking defenders that Mercedes-Benz Stadium could have been an IHOP. It was as good a debut as Steelers fans could have wanted.
And as the Steelers continue to play in 2024, Frazier is solidifying his spot as the next great Pittsburgh center. Even Maurkice Pouncey has praised Frazier as the next in line. Some might even say he’s becoming one of the best in the league right now.
“I think Zach Frazier, their center, has been fantastic,” Nate Tice said on Thursday’s episode of the Mina Kimes Show. “Legitimately top-four center in the NFL right now. And I feel pretty safe saying that, which is really cool.”
Tice may know a thing or two about offensive lines. His father, Mike Tice, spent 22 years coaching in the NFL, including 10 years as an offensive line coach for multiple teams. So Tice got to see offensive lines up close for years when he was younger. He’s probably also learned a bit from his father, too.
So to hear that Tice thinks so highly of Frazier after three NFL games is something. And he’s not alone. Pro Football Focus gave Zach Frazier a 91.3 run-blocking grade against the Chargers, the second-highest grade among all centers.
Will Frazier continue to play at such a high level? The length and grind of an NFL season is notorious for making rookies hit the wall. Perhaps the same will happen with Frazier. But he’s been fantastic to start.
It’s everything the Steelers and fans pictured out of Frazier. As Steelers Depot’s own Alex Kozora said in his scouting report of Frazier, “If you’re looking for physical, nasty, and old-school, Zach Frazier is your kind of guy.” And he has been exactly that through three weeks of his NFL career. That’s why people like Tice love him and rate him so highly. He’s exactly what you want in an interior offensive lineman.
