One of the best parts of team building is selecting players that you have no business being able to. 

And for the Pittsburgh Steelers, even they didn't believe center Zach Frazier would be an option for them at 51. 

But he was, and now he's set to wear the black and gold, something OL guru Duke Manyweather couldn't be happier about:

A Homerun at 51

Steelers, you just got the best Center in the draft!!!!! https://t.co/6kFhNvSNi4

— Duke Manyweather (@BigDuke50) April 27, 2024

Arguably the top offensive lineman trainer in the World, Duke is the host of OL Masterminds, a collection of premier active and retired offensive linemen that aren't short of Hall of Famers, All-Pros, and Pro Bowlers. 

Completely agreeing with Manyweather, I thought Frazier's tape was some of the best in the entire class. Sure he's only a center, but if you go back and turn on the Pittsburgh tape, he played up to the West Virginia-Pittsburgh rivalry that garnered the title of Backyard Brawl. 

No offensive lineman in the #NFLDraft puts people on the ground as much as West Virginia center Zach Frazier. More on why he’s the top center on some team’s boards: ?⬇️https://t.co/H6nYkpnOEk pic.twitter.com/ucQMeGDcau

— Rob Gregson (@NFL_Rob) April 20, 2024

Strengths

• Leverage: Consistently the low man, both at the point of attack and when driving to the second level
• Finish: Acts like a dump truck on every play he can, grounding anyone he gets his hands on
• Instincts: Eyes in the back of his head, targets show up on his radar quickly

Evaluation:

Zach Frazier is an elite run-blocking center who looks to inflict his will on anyone in his vicinity and on every rep. With an expert ability to strike and drop defenders, his utility as a day-one upgrade in a rushing attack far outweighs any limitations in terms of length or pass protection. 

Now, it's hard to ever name a Steelers rookie as a plug-and-play starter, but I have a tough time seeing a situation where Pittsburgh isn't starting Frazier come Week 1. He's a massive upgrade over any other center option on the team and has more than enough experience to be viable from day one. 

So while Pittsburgh will likely make him earn his spot, taking second and third-team reps over the next few months, when it matters, I expect Frazier to be the one sending snaps to the starting QB. 

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Teams across the NFL protect their draft boards with their life (unless you're Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys). But with the development of media, technology, and branding, the draft weekend has become a content goldmine for all 32 teams.  Part of that content is a look inside the draft room, with a New York […]