2024 NFL Draft prospect profile: Zach Frazier, OC, West Virginia

Is Frazier the top center in the draft?

The interior offensive line group in the 2024 NFL Draft is an interesting one. There are several players who will likely play on the interior who have high ceilings and should be good players.

However, there are few pure guards or centers in the class who have high ceilings. Instead, most of the interior prospects will either be moving inside from tackle or have the versatility to be guards or centers at the next level.

Perhaps the closest player to a “pure center” in the draft is Zach Frazier, the center from West Virignia. Frazier has been WVU’s starting center for the last three years and has been one of the best in the country.

The New York Giants just drafted a high ceiling center in John Michael Schmitz, however they’ll likely wind up playing against him at some point.

Prospect: Zach Frazier (54)
Games Watched: vs. TCU (2022), vs. Penn State (2023), vs. Oklahoma State (2023), vs. BYU (2023)

Measurables

Height: 6-foot 2 5/8 inches
Weight: 314 pounds
Arm length: 32 3/8 inches
Hand size: 10 ³⁄₄ inches

Strengths

• Quickness
• Agility
• Speed
• Zone blocking
• Awareness
• Competitive toughness

Clint Frazier is a smart, athletic, and tough center prospect.

Frazier has started each of the three seasons at center for West Virignia, though he has a versatile enough frame that he could move to guard if necessary. He has good thickness throughout his physique which belies a flexible lower body.

Frazier has no problems bending his knees to maintain good leverage throughout the play, which he uses to maximize his play strength. Likewise, he does a good job of placing his hands to gain inside leverage and control of defenders. His active hands allow him to pass off defenders on stunts and twists, as well as keep himself available to pick up delayed blitzes. Frazier is a reliable pass protector who’s able to match up with most interior rushers and can hold up against power or speed if necessary.

He has solid ankle flexibility, as well as hip fluidity, which allow him to move laterally as well as open his hips and pull. Frazier has plenty of foot speed to get into position as a pulling center, as well as working to the second level or in space for screen plays.

Frazier has great competitive toughness and consistently works to sustain his blocks. Even if he doesn’t initially win the rep, he’ll fight to stay in front of his man and keep the play from being disrupted.

Weaknesses

• Man-gap blocking
• Length

Frazier is a good well-rounded center prospect, but he isn’t without his weaknesses.

Most notably, he has slightly limited length at 6-foot-2 with 32-inch arms. He likely won’t fall below teams’ thresholds, but it does show up on his tape on occasion. Frazier can struggle with particularly long interior defenders who are able to get into his pads before he can get his hands on them. Likewise, he has less of a margin for error when dealing with athletic interior blitzers.

In either case, he can lunge or pop up out of his stance and lose his leverage, mitigating his play strength. He generally needs to use his footwork to blunt bull rushes, and can be walked back into the backfield if he attempts to meet a power rusher without good leverage.

Frazier is also a better zone blocker than man-gap blocker at this point in his development. He doesn’t create much movement on man-gap runs and usually requires a double team or half-man leverage to do more than stalemate defenders.

Game Tape

(Frazier is West Virginia center number 54)

Projection

Zach Frazier projects as a starting interior offensive lineman at the NFL level. He has the versatility to play guard if necessary, but his future team should give him the chance to continue to develop at center if at all possible.

Frazier would likely be best in an offense that primarily runs zone blocking schemes, but he’s able to execute man-gap schemes as well. In particular, Frazier is a good pulling center and can pull from the center to the C or D gaps without issue. He’s also perfectly capable of getting in space to block at the second level. Likewise, Frazier has solid awareness and processing, and is able to pick up delayed pressures or loopers.

Frazier might have some length concerns, but he should be a good, reliable, and safe interior lineman at the next level.

Does he fit the Giants?
No. The Giants just drafted a center in the second round.

Final Word: An early Day 2 pick.