Zach Frazier was fairly the revelation for the Pittsburgh Steelers as a rookie.
The West Virginia product began 15 video games in his rookie season and was a key a part of the Steelers’ offensive line, holding down the pivot place in a serious manner for the Black and Gold, all whereas seeing 4 totally different gamers begin on both facet of him and dealing with two totally different beginning quarterbacks.
Now, coming into Yr 2, expectations are sky-high for Frazier. In reality, longtime Steelers beat author Mark Kaboly believes that Frazier goes to earn his first All-Professional accolade within the 2025 season.
In a mailbag with readers on X Thursday morning, Kaboly made the case for Frazier to earn an All-Professional accolade in Yr 2.
“Zach Frazier. Frazier had an incredible season as a rookie and certainly will take a step ahead this 12 months,” Kaboly stated in response to a reader asking which Steeler might earn their first All-Professional honor this season. “The middle place within the NFL has some studs on the high like Creed Humphrey, Tyler Lindenbaum, Frank Ragnow, Ryan Kelly, and Erik McCoy, however none that Frazier can’t overtake as the very best middle within the league. He’s that good.
“I don’t suppose we absolutely recognize what Frazier did as a rookie final 12 months, coming in and ranging from the primary day on.”
The middle place within the NFL in the present day is kind of good. Gamers like Kansas Metropolis’s Creed Humphrey, Baltimore’s Tyler Linderbaum, Detroit’s Frank Ragnow, New Orleans’ Erik McCoy and Philadelphia’s Cam Juergens cleared the path.
After his rookie season, Frazier is correct up there with these names.
Frazier, who received the Joe Greene Nice Efficiency Award because the staff’s finest rookie, was excellent in 2024. He completed because the finest pass-blocking rookie offensive lineman, permitting the bottom stress charge amongst all qualifying rookies.
In response to Professional Soccer Focus, Frazier performed 1,021 snaps final season and had a grade of 77.9 total, together with an 80.5 within the run recreation and a 68.6 as a cross blocker.
PFF charged Frazier with simply 12 complete pressures allowed on 585 pass-blocking reps, giving up one sack. That got here in Week 12 towards Myles Garrett after a stunt from the Cleveland Browns’ defensive position. Simply 12 complete pressures in 585 pass-blocking reps is reasonably spectacular, particularly on the inside contemplating the kind of expertise he confronted in 2024.
Now, issues are actually wanting up for Frazier coming into Yr 2. Although he’ll be working with new quarterbacks in Mason Rudolph, rookie Will Howard, Skylar Thompson and — presumably — Aaron Rodgers, it’ll be Yr 2 within the offensive scheme below coordinator Arthur Smith, and he’ll even have acquainted faces on both facet of him in left guard Isaac Seumalo and proper guard Mason McCormick.
Adjustments will happen on the sort out positions with Broderick Jones sliding to left sort out and Troy Fautanu stepping in at proper sort out after lacking a lot of his rookie season with harm, so there can be changes there. However Frazier is the hub of communication, is hard as nails and may solely take a step ahead in 2025.
After being the fifth-highest graded middle within the NFL final season from Professional Soccer Focus, Frazier might see himself proper up there as soon as once more, and may generate some All-Professional buzz, assuming his play is on the degree many count on in his second lap across the NFL monitor.
