Steelers Cancelled Draft Of C Zach Frazier now under contract
The Steelers signed second-round center Zach Frazier on Monday, the team announced.
He was the last of the team’s seven draft picks to sign his four-year rookie deal.
The Steelers made the West Virginia product the 51st overall pick.
Frazier appeared in 47 games in four seasons with the Mountaineers, starting 37 games at center the past three years. He started 10 games at left guard in his first season.
Frazier earned third-team All-America honors from the Associated Press last season. He was a William V. Campbell Trophy finalist and a Wuerffel Trophy and Jason Witten Man of the Year semifinalist.
Frazier did not allow a sack all season.
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2 hidden gems on Steelers’ 2024 roster you need to know
As a new-looking Steelers team looks to end its postseason struggles in 2024, its success could come down to the success of its unsung players. Safety Eric Rowe had a huge impact down the stretch last year after the team added the street free agent late in the season. Which unknown player could break through in 2024? Here are two hidden gems on the Steelers’ 2024 roster that you need to know.
Calvin Austin III (WR)
After missing the 2022 season with a foot injury, Calvin Austin III entered 2023 with some hype as the unknown factor in the Steelers receiving corps. The 2022 fourth-round pick had a strong start, recording 12 catches for 143 yards in Pittsburgh’s first four games. Austin was on pace to surpass 600 receiving yards in his first season but was barely involved in the Steelers offense the rest of the year. The wideout had just nine catches for 54 yards over the next three months to finish the campaign.
Even with the offseason trade of number-one wide receiver Diontae Johnson, Austin still finds himself as WR4 on this Pittsburgh roster, behind free agent addition Van Jefferson and rookie third-round pick Roman Wilson. Wilson has solid potential, but neither player offers the speed or athleticism that Austin brings to the table. At the 2022 NFL Draft Combine, the Memphis wideout ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash — third among wide receivers — and his overall Athleicism Score of 99 led all wideouts at the combine that year.
Calvin Austin III was the eighth pass-catching option on an offense that attempted the fourth-fewest passes in the NFL last year. With new quarterback Russell Wilson under center and a revamped offensive line, the Steelers’ passing attack is set to be more prolific in 2024. Calvin Austin III could be the main beneficiary.
Nick Herbig (OLB)
Despite being stuck behind elite edge rushers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig was still able to make an impact in limited playing time as a rookie. The 2023 fourth-round pick out of Wisconsin had five tackles for a loss, three sacks, a pair of forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery last season. Herbig’s PFF Player Grade of 80.7 was better than every starter on the Steelers’ defense other than Watt and Highsmith. He achieved all this while playing just 17% of defensive snaps for Pittsburgh.
Herbig’s presence also helped keep Defensive Player of the Year candidate T.J. Watt on the field. Watt missed seven games in 2022 but was on the field for every contest in 2023, the first time he managed that feat since 2019. The All-Pro played 83% of defensive snaps, one of the lowest totals of his career. Keeping Watt fresh is crucial for Pittsburgh, as the Steelers are 1-11 in games the star edge rusher has missed through injury. This includes the team’s most recent AFC Wild Card game against the Buffalo Bills in January.
With Markus Golden — the team’s primary situational rusher and third-leading sacker — gone in free agency, Nick Herbig can assume an even bigger role in the Steelers’ defense in 2024.