It’s hard to take any positives away from the 2024 season, but the rookie class was pretty solid for the second year in a row. In GM Omar Khan’s second draft fully in charge, he managed to find some key players, and there is still plenty of room for the class to look better with injuries holding out a handful of the picks for the entire season. Pro Football Focus ranked the top 10 rookie classes and the Steelers came in at No. 9.
The biggest story is probably the future of the interior offensive line. Zach Frazier had a fantastic rookie season, and Mason McCormick showed plenty of promise.
“Second-round pick Zach Frazier was easily the team’s best offensive lineman, posting a 77.9 PFF overall grade,” Dalton Wasserman wrote via PFF. “Fourth-rounder Mason McCormick wasn’t expected to start but had to take over at right guard when James Daniels suffered a torn Achilles. He allowed just two sacks in his 15 games this season.”
McCormick is still a work in progress in other areas, but his pass protection was above the line for a rookie. He wasn’t really expected to play this year, and he was a rookie coming from the FCS, so his serviceable play is encouraging and sets the stage for a big second-year jump in his performance.
As for Frazier, PFF labeled him the Steelers’ “secret superstar” of the 2024 season. He was truly one of the few bright spots from start to finish. He missed a few games with an ankle injury and had a rough game or two after he returned, but he was lights out for the most part.
“The Steelers were in dire need of a center going into 2024, and they found their long-term answer in Frazier. The West Virginia product posted a 77.9 PFF overall grade, the highest among any Steelers starting offensive lineman and the best by a rookie center since Creed Humphrey in 2022,” PFF’s Bradley Locker wrote. “Frazier allowed only 12 pressures and one sack all year while simultaneously opening lanes as a run blocker. The 23-year-old seems to be only scratching the surface and could soon become one of the NFL’s best centers.”
The book on Frazer coming out of the draft was that he had a very high floor but a limited ceiling overall. I think he proved in Year 1 that his ceiling is plenty high, and he can be right there in the conversation with some of the other top centers before long. This was one of the Steelers’ few big goals heading into 2024 that they actually accomplished.
As for the defense, Payton Wilson led the way with a 74.7 overall grade while Beanie Bishop Jr. had a 55.6 grade with four interceptions and three pass breakups. The Steelers started to play Bishop a little less toward the end of the year, but he should be set up for a productive second season.
Wilson has a chance to be a full-time starter next to Patrick Queen in 2025 pending Elandon Roberts’ status as a free agent. He provided great work in coverage at times, showed a relentless pursuit to the ball, and made some very impressive tackles. He still has plenty to clean up, but he should be making a much bigger impact in Year 2.
This isn’t counting WR Roman Wilson, OT Troy Fautanu, and sixth-round picks DE Logan Lee and DB Ryan Watts. Big things will be expected from both Fautanu and Wilson next year, which could help elevate the Steelers’ 2024 rookie class even further.
