Throughout much of the 2024 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ draft class has looked rather solid.
Center Zach Frazier has emerged as a legitimate building block in the trenches while linebacker Payton Wilson looks like a future three-down linebacker for the Steelers.
Though Troy Fautanu, Roman Wilson, Logan Lee and Ryan Watts haven’t been able to help out much this season due to injuries, the Steelers’ rookie class still looks rather solid thanks to Frazier and Wilson, who were named to CBS Sports’ All-Rookie team Thursday.
Neither is a surprise as Frazier has been not only the best rookie center but one of the best in the league, too, while Wilson has produced some splash plays and has a touchdown this season.
“This was a very good center draft class, and several of the players in it have had huge roles: Frazier, [Jackson] Powers-Johnson, Cooper Beebe, Beaux Limmer, Graham Barton and Tanor Bortolini have all been starters for at least half the season. Frazier’s work in middle of Pittsburgh’s line has probably been the best of them all, on balance,” CBS Sports’ Jared Dubin writes.
It was a solid center class leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, and the Steelers were fortunate to see Frazier fall to the second round. They landed him at No. 51 overall, getting arguably the best center in the class from a scouting perspective.
That’s paid off on the field as Frazier has been quite good for the Steelers, both in pass protection and in the run game.
According to Pro Football Focus, Frazier has played 914 snaps this season and has a grade of 76.9 overall, including an 80.5 in the run game and a 64.7 as a pass blocker. Frazier has allowed just 11 total pressures and given up one sack, which came in Week 12 against Myles Garrett after a stunt from the Cleveland Browns’ defensive line.
Overall, Frazier has transitioned seamlessly to the NFL after a stellar college career at West Virginia. He was recently named the Steelers’ Joe Greene Great Performance Award winner as their top rookie.
The only other rookie who had a case for the Steelers, outside of cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr., and guard Mason McCormick is Wilson, who landed with Frazier on CBS Sports’ All-Rookie team.
The third-round pick out of North Carolina State who fell to No. 98 overall due to medical red flags has been quite good in his first season.
“The thing about Wilson is that everybody knew he was a really good player coming into the draft. He was incredible in college,” Dubin writes. “He just had more injury red flags than almost any player in recent memory. The Steelers have gotten good use out of him in a rotational role, which might be how it has to be if they want to keep him relatively healthy over the next few years.”
Wilson was arguably the top linebacker in the class, one who could be a three-down, sideline-to-sideline specimen in the NFL. But those medical red flags hindered him and dropped him right into the Steelers’ lap.
On the year, Wilson has played 452 snaps defensively and has a grade of 74.0, including a 63.9 against the run and a 74.1 in coverage. Wilson has allowed 28 receptions on 34 targets for just 202 yards and has one spectacular interception on the season, ripping the ball away from Baltimore running back Justice Hill with one hand in Week 11.
The future looks rather bright with those two, and if Fautanu and Roman Wilson can contribute in a big way next year, and Frazier, Payton Wilson and McCormick continue to be solid starters, look out. The Steelers might have landed another solid draft class under GM Omar Khan.
