Three Steelers Make All-Rookie Team
Pittsburgh Steelers center Zach Frazier, right guard Mason McCormick and linebacker Payton Wilson were all named to The 33rd Team’s 2024 NFL All-Rookie Team.
Frazier has had a banner rookie year, so it’s no surprising that he made the list. The Steelers named Frazier their “Joe Greene Great Performance Award” winner, which is given annually to Pittsburgh’s top rookie.
Frazier, a second-round pick (No. 51 overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft, was pushed into the starting lineup after veteran Nate Herbig suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in August. He has looked as advertised in Year 1.
“There aren’t a lot of rookie centers to choose from, but Zach Frazier is still the easy choice after such a strong start to his career,” Tyler Brooke of The 33rd Team wrote.
“Despite playing in 15 games, Frazier allowed just one sack and 12 pressures all season. On top of that, he was a bulldozer in the run game, flying all over the field to deliver some punishing blocks when climbing to the second level.”
The Steelers bolstered their offensive line in 2024 with drafting Frazier in the second round and McCormick in the fourth. They also spent their first-round pick on offensive tackle Troy Fautanu, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in September.
McCormick has not been sharp in recent weeks, but overall, he’s been pretty solid.
“Going from FCS competition to the NFL is a massive jump in talent, but Mason McCormick has done an admirable job acclimating to the pros,” Brooke wrote.
“McCormick has had some down games, but when he’s on, he’s looked like a long-term starter for Pittsburgh. He only had one game this season where he allowed a sack, and there were five different games without allowing pressure, according to Pro Football Focus. It was always going to take time for McCormick to reach his full potential, but at least he’s already holding his own as a starter in his first NFL season.”
Payton Wilson started just four games in 2024, but he played 492 snaps on defense. So he still had a pretty big role on defense, especially when the Steelers go in their sub-packages. Wilson finished the season with 78 tackles (49 solo), three tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, two passes defended, one interception, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
Wilson’s interception was a key play in the Steelers’ Week 11 over the Baltimore Ravens. It was one of the best interceptions of the season made by any player.
Losing Fautanu for the season was unfortunate, but there’s certainly some potential and promise with the Steelers’ 2024 rookie class. It’s also the second rookie class in a row that has looked impressive, so general manager Omar Khan has the team in the right direction.
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