Anchoring the Future: How Zack Frazier Solidifies the Steelers’ Offensive Line Vision in the 2024 Draft
The moment Zack Frazier’s name echoed across the NFL Draft stage in April 2024, a subtle but seismic shift occurred in Pittsburgh. In a draft dominated by flashy receivers and franchise quarterbacks, the Steelers chose to double down on grit, grit forged in the coalfields of West Virginia and hammered into steel by the blue-collar ethos that has always defined their football identity.
Frazier wasn’t a surprise pick — he was the inevitable one. A four-year starter at West Virginia, two-time team captain, and All-American, Frazier arrived in Pittsburgh not just as a center, but as a cornerstone. With a wrestling background and a lineman’s instinct for leverage, he brought the kind of trench toughness the Steelers had lacked for years.
For Mike Tomlin and GM Omar Khan, the vision was clear long before the draft began: rebuild the offensive line with youth, intelligence, and unrelenting physicality. The 2023 selection of Broderick Jones laid the foundation at tackle, but Frazier was the lynchpin. He wasn’t just a piece of the puzzle — he was the steel beam anchoring it all.
Training camp in Latrobe confirmed what the war room already knew: Frazier was different. Rookie offensive linemen aren’t supposed to take command of the huddle, call out protections like a seasoned vet, or pancake a starting nose tackle in a full-padded practice. But Frazier did all of that — and then some. His presence stabilized the entire line. His snap-to-step quickness gave quarterbacks time, and his second-level blocking opened holes for Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren to thrive.
By midseason, the transformation was undeniable. The Steelers’ offensive line, once maligned as a weak link, was suddenly a force. Sack rates dropped. Rushing yards climbed. And under Frazier’s silent leadership, the unit operated like a synchronized machine — disciplined, nasty, and unrelenting.
In the locker room, veterans praised his work ethic. Coaches marveled at his football IQ. And fans, those hardest to impress, began buying #54 jerseys in droves.
But perhaps the most telling moment came in a gritty, wind-whipped showdown against the Ravens. With the Steelers clinging to a late fourth-quarter lead and the ball on their own 20, Frazier surveyed the defense, recognized the blitz, and adjusted the protection. The result: a 32-yard run up the middle that sealed the win. He didn’t spike the ball or beat his chest. He just walked back to the huddle, eyes locked, ready for the next snap.
That’s who Zack Frazier is. Not a savior, but a foundation. Not loud, but lasting.
The Steelers didn’t just draft a center in 2024. They drafted their identity back.
