After four years with the West Virginia Mountaineers, Zach Frazier entered the 2024 NFL Draft. Frazier started 46 games across four seasons for the Mountaineers.
The Fairmont Senior High School Alum didn't have to travel far, as he was selected 51st overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Frazier stepped into Pittsburgh and immediately became the starting center, and he has not looked back.
Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy is in the midst of his first season with Pittsburgh after being hired last January, but has had nothing but glowing things to say about Frazier.
"Very diligent in his preparation. Very serious. Really good communicator. Asks all the right questions. His practice ethic is top-notch. His physicality and ability to play with leverage is unique. He's as unique of a center that I've had the opportunity to coach."
McCarthy has been an NFL head coach for nearly two decades. As an offensive-minded head coach, McCarthy is well aware of the value Frazier provides as a protector for whoever the Steelers have at quarterback for years to come.
Pro Football Focus has graded Frazier as the top center in all of football through seven weeks of the season. Frazier's 78 overall grade is first among the 35 qualified centers. Whether it's opening up holes in the run game or protecting legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Frazier has simply been elite everywhere. His 75.5 pass blocking grade is third among centers, while his 78.9 run blocking grade is second among centers.
The Steelers have had the third-highest-graded offensive line in all of football since Week 3, according to PFF. Since the Steelers made changes to their offensive line, including starting rookie first round pick Max Iheanachor, the offensive line has taken a big step forward. The offensive line unit in Pittsburgh is a young one, with four starters currently on their rookie contracts. It has quickly become the foundation of their future, and Frazier is the clear leader of the line.
Frazier is eligible for a contract extension this offseason from Pittsburgh and could be in for a massive payday. The former Mountaineer will likely become one of the league's highest-paid centers, and deservedly so. It is a perfect time for Frazier to capitalize too, as the center market exploded in the NFL last offseason when Tyler Linderbaum signed a three-year, $81 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency last March.
The former Mountaineer has quickly become the class of his position and is set to receive a huge payday for his efforts as early as this coming summer. Frazier is well on pace to go down as one of the best NFL players to ever come from West Virginia University.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/westvirginia as Former WVU Center Zach Frazier is Emerging As One of the Best Linemen in the NFL .
