Zach Frazier felt like a Steelers participant lengthy earlier than they drafted him, and his rookie season solely solidified that truth. As a Day 1 starter, he confirmed a base degree of professionalism that by no means wavered. He additionally displayed his physicality, his grit, and his toughness, significantly amid damage.
Whereas Mason Rudolph wasn’t with the Steelers in 2024 for Frazier’s rookie season, he sees what everybody has in him. Earlier than Aaron Rodgers signed, he additionally started working with Frazier extensively with the first-team offense the previous two weeks.
“He’s an ideal dude. He’s a former wrestler, so he’s a flexible man,” Rudolph stated of Frazier, by way of the Steelers’ web site. “Not an enormous talker — you’ve sort of received to pry to get phrases out of him. However he doesn’t appear to be a man going into his second yr. He looks like a mature veteran already.”
It doesn’t harm that Zach Frazier was a really skilled school participant, with 47 video games underneath his belt. The Steelers leaned closely into expertise with their three offensive line picks a yr in the past. That’s one of many causes they had been able to play once they wanted them final yr, together with fourth-round Mason McCormick. After all, they solely received 50-some-odd snaps out of Troy Fautanu, however that wasn’t his fault.
Outdoors of two video games missed because of an ankle damage, Zach Frazier logged each snap for the Steelers. He performed 976 in all, benefitting from a bye throughout his damage. Whereas he had some rookie moments, and he and Justin Fields had some communication points, he hardly ever drew consideration to himself, which is what you need in an offensive lineman.
Comfortable-spoken and a person of few phrases, as Rudolph stated, Frazier is nearly his enterprise. However hopefully, much like David DeCastro, as he good points expertise, he can even achieve consolation. On the sector, he’s already a pacesetter of the group, however he can lead within the assembly room, as properly.
Realistically, the Steelers don’t have an apparent chief within the offensive line. Isaac Seumalo is the sage veteran, however he’s famend for saying little, too. Broderick Jones is essentially the most skilled of the remaining and is attempting to show extra management. However it by no means hurts to have that at middle. Frazier isn’t going to be vocal like Maurkice Pouncey off the sector, however time will reveal his true soccer character.
Within the meantime, he’s nonetheless a second-year participant, engaged on refining his sport. He is aware of he has so much to work on from his rookie season, and to his credit score, he has been doing that. Now with Aaron Rodgers underneath contract, he has a brand new beginning quarterback to organize for. However they already modified your complete quarterback room on him, anyway, so what’s another? And maybe he can be taught a factor or two from Rodgers alongside the way in which—hopefully about soccer.
