PITTSBURGH — The first offseason experience of the NFL is a journey for every rookie, and that’s the case for each member of the Steelers NFL Draft class of 2024. On Thursday, veteran offensive linemen James Daniels and Nate Herbig take turns coaching up Zach Frazier, the team’s rookie second-round draft pick from West Virginia.
Frazier has been working closely with Herbig, who is ahead of him on the Steelers depth chart for now at the center position.
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Frazier isn’t the only one going through that transition. Steelers first-round tackle Troy Fautanu talked about the difficulty of the transition on Wednesday. Fourth-round guard Mason McCormick is another rookie training on that unit, giving coach Pat Meyer a cadre of youngsters to bring along.
“(Tuesday) was a lot different than college,” Fautanu said. “Just the adjustment to the speed, especially guys on the edge. Yeah, yesterday was a rough one. Today was a little bit better. That’s what I’m hearing a lot from the guys. Just try to find something to get better at and I emphasized that today. I felt like I did. I’m learning a lot with these guys.”
That’s where the value of veterans like Herbig, Daniels, Isaac Seumalo and Dan Moore have come in as key instructors in offensive line room this spring.