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PFF Grades for Steelers' Dylan Cook, Zach Frazier Appear to Be Backward
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- PFF Grades for Steelers' Dylan Cook, Zach Frazier Appear to Be Backward
Through two weeks, the Pittsburgh Steelers have not gotten very good play from their offensive line . In fact, you could argue that the unit as a whole has stunk. However, that doesn't mean every player is failing to pull his weight. Though he had a rough Week 2, center Zach Frazier has produced far more good than bad this season. He has continued to establish himself as a cornerstone of the Steelers' interior offensive line. However, PFF disagrees.
In a baffling turn of events, PFF has one of Frazier's teammates, who has struggled significantly, graded ahead of him. When you turn on the tape, it doesn't make much sense, either.
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Dylan Cook won the starting right tackle job by default coming out of training camp. Week 1 was an up-and-down performance, but Week 2 was about as bad as it could get. Yet, PFF has him graded as the NFL's fifth-best offensive tackle . Not the Steelers' fifth-best offensive lineman. The NFL's fifth-best offensive tackle.
Cook is also PFF's highest-graded Steelers offensive player through two games at 76.4. It doesn't make sense, especially considering Frazier is significantly lower at 64.4 and ranks as the NFL's 14th-highest-graded center .
This continues to show that while PFF has a lot of valuable data and produces plenty of useful information, its grading system has flaws.
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Why Cook's Grade Doesn't Make Sense
So far, Cook's PFF tracking has him charged with four pressures and one sack, but zero quarterback hits. There were at least two hits on Sunday that should have been charged to Cook.
That isn't to say Cook hasn't had some positive moments through the first two weeks. However, it is difficult to argue that he has been the Steelers' best offensive player. There were also a number of offensive line gaffes where it was difficult to determine exactly who was responsible for a communication breakdown. That doesn't mean Cook should be absolved of those mistakes.
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What constitutes a +2 or -2 in PFF's grading system? PFF provides an explanation for its grading process, but that explanation doesn't always seem to translate to what happens on the field.
Cook has had a tough first two weeks. There is no reason, based on what has happened on the field, that he should be graded ahead of Frazier, especially considering the amount of pressure he has allowed.
Why Frazier's Grade Doesn't Make Sense
Aug 21, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers center Zach Frazier (54) takes the field to play the New York Jets at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Through two games, PFF has charged Frazier with three pressures and one hit. Unless PFF is pinning all of the Steelers' offensive line communication issues on Frazier, which would be foolish to do, the grade doesn't make much sense.
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The grade itself isn't necessarily the issue. The problem is that it suggests Cook has played significantly better than Frazier through the first two weeks. The tape doesn't appear to support that gap in their grades.
It is certainly puzzling, but PFF grades rely heavily on human judgment. With that comes the possibility of misinterpreting blocking assignments, determining which player should have picked up a particular defender, and evaluating technique within specific calls.
That's not to say these evaluations can't help provide a better understanding of the game. They can.
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However, it makes it difficult to put too much weight into PFF grades as anything more than one opinionated evaluation of a player's performance. At the end of the day, the tape provides another, and sometimes very different, perspective.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Sep 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
