Centers Zach Frazier of West Virginia and Jackson Powers-Johnson of Oregon have been heavily linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers since January. And for good reason, center is a glaring need for the Steelers. They currently don’t have a true center on their roster right now, unless you take Nate Herbig’s 49 career snaps at center serious.
The Steelers have an incredible history at the center position with past legends Mike Webster, Dermontti Dawson and Maurkice Pouncey. Webster and Dawson are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Pouncey very well could be in Canton someday.
Pittsburgh is hoping they can find their next blue chip center in this year’s draft. West Virginia longtime play-by-voice Tony Caridi believes Frazier would fit the bill. He thinks he was born to be a Steeler.
“I would take 12 Zach Frazier’s on my team. I think he’d be a perfect fit for the Steelers,” Caridi said on 93.7 The Fan when asked his thoughts on the possibility Frazier could be drafted by the nearest NFL franchise to Morgantown.
A month after impressing scouts in drills at the NFL Combine, Frazier performed admirably again at the Big 12 Pro Day event on Saturday. And the Steelers were going to be watching this one closely.
Frazier, who held off on running the 40 in Indianapolis and promised to do it at the Big 12 Pro Day, was clocked at a 5.24.
The information below from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler shows the rest of Frazier’s day.
6024, 315
40/10: 5.24/1.81
VJ: 28 1/2″
BJ: 8’4″
SS: 4.69
3C: 7.85
As has been the case for months, those in attendance praised Frazier for his skills, especially while recovering from an injury. But it did result in putting up only an okay RAS, something which Arthur Smith has not had in his offense. Rather, he has gone for more athletic players.
While his measurements and intangibles all suggest Frazier is poised to succeed in the NFL, Frazier says most of what teams ask him about his health.
To that end, most of Frazier’s interview session with reporters at the Combine focused on his recovery.
Despite his progress, Frazier was over two hours late to his schedule interview session with the media, and that had everything to do with the concern over his health.
“So, I got an X-ray and an MRI on two different areas, and then one team wanted to see the other. So, like, I don’t know, if one team asks for it, you gotta go get it,” said Frazier about what caused the long delay.
In addition to questions about his health, Frazier did reveal he had formal meetings with the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears. The Pittsburgh Steelers, however, a team he has been connected to for months, did not speak with him at the Combine. Pittsburgh’s recent decision to cut Mason Cole caused many to speculate they will use one of their early draft picks on a center, possibly Frazier.
Frazier appeared in 47 games for the Mountaineers over a four-year span. Frazier’s career at West Virginia came to an end when he suffered a leg injury during the Baylor game on Nov. 25. He managed to get himself off of the field, avoiding a loss of time on the clock late in the game. The Fairmont, W.Va. native capped off his Mountaineer career as an All-American and finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy.
This story’s version first appeared at our partner, West Virginia Sports Now.