Steelers A to Z: Zach Frazier will make his case at camp to be rookie starter at center

Editor’s note: From now until the first practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2024 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 14 and July 25. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

C ZACH FRAZIER

Experience/age: Rookie, turns 23 in August

Contract status: $1.37 million cap hit in 2024, signed through 2027

The past: A four-year starter, three-season captain and two-time All American, Frazier had quite the college résumé at West Virginia. The 6-foot-3, 310-pound native of the Mountain State was generally regarded among the top centers available in this past spring’s draft, and the Steelers were eager to take him after releasing their two-year starter at the position (Mason Cole). A three-time all-academic Big 12 selection, Frazier was picked 51^st overall.

According to Pro Football Focus, Frazier did not allow a sack and allowed just six pressures over 328 pass-blocking snaps in 2023. He was charged with five sacks over 1,627 career pass block snaps. In PFF’s subjective grading, Frazier was the seventh-best overall center in the Power Five conferences last season, fourth in pass blocking.

2024 outlook: Frazier spent organized team activities and minicamp as the second-team center behind veteran Nate Herbig. One of the upcoming training camp’s major storylines is if Frazier can ascend to starter by the opening of the regular season. The most recent time the Steelers drafted a center with at least as premium a pick it was Maurkice Pouncey in 2010. Pouncey was taking first-team reps by the first practice of training camp — and that was with a two-year returning starter at center who’d won a Super Bowl with the team in Justin Hartwig.

But Herbig is no pushover. And the Steelers more often default to veterans early on for a rookie. Herbig spent last season as the primary backup at all interior line positions, and he made two starts. But those were at right guard. He has never played a full game at center over five NFL seasons.

Make no mistake. The Steelers drafted Frazier with the intention he will start. But that doesn’t mean the four-time state high school wrestling champion won’t have to earn it. With Frazier’s experience, power and football IQ, there’s no reason he can’t. But Frazier was not a perfect prospect so nothing is assured, at least not immediately. His status will be tracked throughout camp and preseason games.