© Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Steelers in Tough Spot for Zach Frazier
The Pittsburgh Steelers will need to really think about what center they want.
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers pick 51st in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and are expected to miss out on one of their top center options by roughly one pick.
ESPN's Mel Kiper believes West Virginia center Zach Frazier doesn't last until 51. Instead, he'll be selected in the top 50 come draft weekend, as the second center off the board.
"Frazier is my second-ranked center, and I expect him to be picked in the top 50," Kiper said.
The Steelers brought Frazier in for a pre-draft visit and sent assistant offensive line coach Isaac Williams to Texas to watch him workout. They've also done their homework on the other top centers, bringing in Graham Barton and Jackson Powers-Johnson for visits as well.
The team may have decisions to make as ESPN's top draft analysts believe Frazier will be gone before they get a second chance at him. Matt Miller believes his stock is rising so high that the Steelers' only choice may be to take him in the first round.
"razier was a four-time West Virginia state champion wrestler in high school, and that level of agility, toughness and strength is exactly what you want in a center prospect. Coming from a wide-zone scheme, he’s ideal for the modern NFL — and if teams are comfortable with his recovery from a leg injury that ended his 2023 season early, expect late-Round 1 talk," Miller wrote.
It's hard to imagine the Steelers going through the NFL Draft without adding a center. And if Frazier is their top choice, they may have to make some tough decisions on when to select him.
