Yet another Steelers rookie suffered an injury in Week 6 in C Zach Frazier, but one made their debut with WR Roman Wilson finally suiting up. That gives us a little more to look at this week, but the rookie list is still quite thin, considering the size of the draft class. Frazier was already ruled out and Wilson is questionable with a hamstring injury, so next week’s list could be very limited.
Today, I will review each draft pick’s performance against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6, including a clip or two of their play and some analysis.
Week 6 – At Las Vegas Raiders
C Zach Frazier
Snaps: 48 on offense (72-percent)
Pro Football Focus Grades: 70.1 overall, 59.5 pass block, 71.9 run block
It is a shame to see him injured for a few weeks, but they were fortunate to avoid a season-ending injury for Frazier. His play remains very solid. He is the season’s No. 4 center per Pro Football Focus, with an 82.2 overall grade.
He just makes the routine stuff look so routine. His grip and upper-body strength are elite, and I have yet to see a defensive lineman consistently able to escape his grasp when he locks on.
WR Roman Wilson
Snaps: 5 on offense (8-percent)
PFF Grades: 56.7 overall, 60.0 pass, 53.9 run block
Not a ton to look at here. Wilson only played five offensive snaps. Even worse, a hamstring injury threatens to derail his chances of getting involved in Week 7. We may be looking at post-bye week for Wilson to work into the offense in a meaningful way. The bye week is also when the trade deadline happens, so he could find it more difficult to get on the field depending on what happens there.
On his first NFL snap, he was asked to down-block on a slot corner and did an okay job. The angle could have been better, but he was willing. He lived by the “no block, no rock” motto at Michigan. He showed that willingness right away.
ILB Payton Wilson
Snaps: 27 on defense (43 percent), 16 on special teams
PFF Grades: 62.2 overall, 77.6 run defense, 54.6 coverage, 62.0 tackling, 54.5 pass rush
The inside linebacker room is really starting to round into form. Elandon Roberts is playing at a very high level, Patrick Queen is finally settling in, and Wilson is showing some of the reasons why he was seen as a first-round talent. Look at this play, where he follows the motion out wide and ends up making the tackle from behind after darting across the entire field.
OG Mason McCormick
Snaps: 67 on offense (100 percent), 6 on special teams
PFF Grades: 66.3 overall, 57.3 pass block, 66.3 run block
McCormick’s technique issues, like his pad level, are starting to improve, but his defining trait continues to be his relentless motor. That phrase is typically reserved for defensive linemen and edge players, but just look at McCormick on the play below. It wasn’t a particularly great play for him, but he never quits. Most offensive linemen don’t pop up off the ground to attempt to continue blocking. If the whistle isn’t blown, McCormick isn’t stopping.
CB Beanie Bishop Jr.
Snaps: 47 on defense (75 percent), 13 on special teams
PFF Grades: 65.2 overall, 50.2 run defense, 68.8 coverage, 76.4 tackling, 55.4 pass rush
Bishop bounced back a little bit after a very tough performance against the Cowboys a week ago. He continues to play a very high volume of snaps. That will only be the case for two more games, with Cam Sutton’s suspension ending over the bye week. He has shown enough to be worth carrying on the roster the rest of the way and could be a nice developmental project for future seasons. It was just a little too much on his plate as an undrafted Steelers rookie.
We have seen enough of the rough play from him recently, so why not a reason to get excited? Here, he sniffed out the screen and slipped past two blockers to make the immediate tackle. Great play for the Steelers rookie.
