Steelers Land Highly Touted WVU Center in New Mock Draft
The Steelers will likely look to add a center this offseason, whether through the NFL Draft or free agency. But they should look in their backyard if they want to get one through the draft. Zach Frazier is one of the best centers, if not the best center, in the country, and he plays for West Virginia. He suffered a severe leg injury against Baylor that forced him out for the rest of the season, but Frazier has a chance to be the first center off the board.
Of course, all of this comes after starting center Mason Cole has struggled to snap the ball consistently and accurately, and even outside of that, Cole is an easily replaceable center. So, could Frazier travel an hour north and join the Steelers? In Pro Football Network’s new mock draft, analyst Dalton Miller has the team landing Frazier in the second round.
“Replacing Mason Cole is a few years in the making now,” Miller wrote. “Reports recently surfaced about the Steelers considering replacing Kenny Pickett with Mitchell Trubisky before the ankle injury, so maybe someone like Michael Penix Jr. would be an option here, but they’re sticking it out for Year 3 with Pickett in this simulation while trying to build the environment around him. Therefore, Zach Frazier is the pick here.”
Miller has the Steelers climbing up the board five spots while trading their fourth-round pick to land Frazier. It makes sense. The stout and physical Frazier is perfect for the Steelers’ diverse run scheme, and his leadership and smarts would fit well on the offensive line. If there has been two positions that are obvious weak links on the offensive side of the ball outside of quarterback, left tackle and center would fit the bill. In the first round, it was Georgia tackle Amarius Mims whom Miller has Pittsburgh selecting. Yes, that would reunite him with Broderick Jones.
“Reuniting Amarius Mims and Broderick Jones won’t necessarily save Kenny Pickett’s career, but it will give the Steelers a clearer picture of whether they can build a unit around Pickett that can help fix his current issues,” Miller wrote. “Mims played sparingly in 2022 and got injured in 2023, but he’s been unbelievable when on the field, particularly for his lack of experience. Playing beside James Daniels could help with his developmental curve as well.”
If this draft happens, that is the Steelers rebuilding their offensive line, hopefully once and for all. It would require them punting on the quarterback class, unless they wrapped back around in the third round to take a quarterback, but Frazier and Mims would be a nice haul to strengthen that offensive line.
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