The Pittsburgh Steelers and General Manager Omar Khan made a lot of fans wishes come true on Friday night when they selected Zach Frazier out of West Virginia. He fills one of the Steelers biggest needs along the offensive line at center, and he was one of the best centers in the 2024 draft class. Frazier to Pittsburgh seemed like something that was bound to happen, and the fact that Pittsburgh didn't have to move up in the second round to acquire him makes the pick even sweeter.
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Steelers' Zach Frazier at during a game at West Virginia
Frazier has already said he feels like he will be able to start immediately for the Steelers, and that he is confident in his leadership skills and abilities at the center position. Frazier grew up and went to school in West Virginia, which is close to Pittsburgh. He said he was even at Ben Roethlisberger's last home game in Pittsburgh, and since that moment he had a strong feeling he would end up wearing the black and gold himself, which he talked about during his introductory press conference.
"I knew it was a possibility. Of course, you don't get to pick. You don't know what's going to happen. As the picks kept getting closer to Pittsburgh, I kept getting more and more excited because I knew that that was a possible spot for me. When I saw the 412 area code I knew right away. The last Steelers game I was at was Big Ben's last game against Cleveland."
The Steelers won the game against the Cleveland Browns at the end of the 2021 NFL season in what was Roethlisberger's final game in Pittsburgh, before the Steelers went on to lose to the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs. The Steelers pulled away from the Browns at the end of the game as Najee Harris broke loose for the touchdown to make the score 26-14.
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Steelers quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, walks off Heinz Field for the final time in his career.
Frazier got to see the media circus that was in Pittsburgh that night as Roethlisberger walked off of the field for the last time, and he got to see how grateful the city of Pittsburgh is for it's football team and its players which obviously makes it an attractive destination for incoming prospects. That paired with the rich history Pittsburgh has at the center position makes this landing spot perfect for Frazier.
Jaron Summers / West Virginia University
Steelers could select Zach Frazier as their next franchise center in 2024.
Steelers' Rich Center History Looks To Continue With Frazier
The Steelers have employed some amazing centers over the years including Ray Mansfield, Mike Webster, Dermontti Dawson, and Maurkice Pouncey. All four of these plays have made an All-Pro team, and were respected tremendously by their teammates in Pittsburgh. Pouncey was considered Roethlisberger's bodyguard, as he would snap on any defender that tried touching his quarterback after the play. Frazier will look to continue this impressive run of centers in Pittsburgh, and bring a gritty attitude to Pittsburgh.
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