Though he was selected in the second round at No. 51 overall and plays a less—than—glamorous—or even premium—position, Pittsburgh Steelers’ rookie center Zach Frazier consistently showed throughout the 2024 season that he’s one of the best rookies in the NFL.
Frazier, a West Virginia product, was named the Steelers’ Joe Greene Great Performance Award as the best rookie for the franchise. On top of that, Frazier finished the season as the best pass-blocking rookie offensive lineman in the NFL and earned a spot on The 33rd Team’s All-Rookie team, too.
Throughout his rookie season with the Black and Gold, Zach Frazier showed time and time again that he’s a foundational building block for the Steelers moving forward.
NFL.com’s Gennaro Filice believes that’s the case, too, calling Frazier the Steelers’ “next great center” Wednesday while ranking Frazier as the 8th-best rookie in the NFL after the 2024 regular season.
“It looks like Pittsburgh has its next great center, with Frazier following in the footsteps of Hall of Famers Mike Webster and Dermontti Dawson, as well as nine-time Pro Bowler Maurkice Pouncey,” Filice writes regarding Frazier in his rookie rankings for NFL.com. “In fact, Pouncey himself co-signed that sentiment in the first month of the season. Per PFF, Frazier gave up just 15 pressures over 15 starts, allowing a minuscule 2.7 percent pressure rate over 548 pass-blocking snaps.
“And frankly, he’s even better as a run blocker, relentlessly seeking work through the echo of the whistle.”
In his first season in the NFL, Zach Frazier transitioned seamlessly, becoming a key piece in the trenches for the Black and Gold.
According to Pro Football Focus, Frazier has played 975 snaps this season and has a grade of 76.8 overall, including a 79.7 in the run game and a 66.6 as a pass blocker. PFF charged Frazier with just 12 total pressures on 548 pass-blocking reps, giving up one sack, which came in Week 12 against Myles Garrett after a stunt from the Cleveland Browns defensive line.
While he was stout in pass protection, Zach Frazier was a strong run blocker. He consistently provided a physical presence for the Steelers in the run game, showing off his athleticism to get to the second level for blocks while also showing his strength and high-end effort level by playing through the whistle time and time again.
He certainly looks like the next great Steelers center, and he has the endorsement of the latest one in Maurkice Pouncey. Pouncey called Frazier a guy who could be a staple for the Steelers moving forward, adding that the West Virginia product has all the ability.
Zach Frazier showed that throughout the season, and his future in the NFL looks very bright.
