5 Steelers rookies make early season impact in 3-0 start
The Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0) will look to extend their early season unbeaten streak when they travel to Indianapolis to face the 1-2 Colts this weekend.
General Manager Omar Khan has been praised for his first two draft classes on the job and his most recent group has already helped the Steelers this year. Head coach Mike Tomlin said they would give the rookies a chance to show their skills, but no one knew how big of a role most of them would play early in the season. Like a game of roulette online real money the ball landed in the right slots.
Here are four rookies that Khan selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, plus an undrafted contributor, who have made an impact through three weeks.
Zach Frazier
The Steelers’ second-round pick and the 51st overall selection, Frazier had a decorated career at West Virginia where he was a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy. He was also a highly decorated high school wrestler, achieving a 159-2 record – a skillset that has helped him to succeed thus far in the NFL.
Pittsburgh has struggled at the center position since the retirement of Maurkice Pouncey following the 2020 season. This year, Frazier was chosen to become the heir to a long line of great centers in the Steel City, following in the footsteps of Pouncey, along with Pro Football Hall of Famers Mike Webster, and Dermontti Dawson.
The thought was Frazier might sit behind veteran Nate Herbig to begin the season, but Herbig was placed on injured reserve during the preseason and was lost for the year.
That made Frazier the default starter, and as a rookie, he’s done extremely well through the first three games. Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked Frazier as the second-best pass-blocking center in his Week 1 debut (83.3 rating) and the third-best lineman overall in Week 3 with an 88.8 rating.
Payton Wilson
Many draft experts were bewildered that Wilson, arguably the draft’s best inside linebacker prospect, fell to pick 98 overall during the third round of the NFL Draft. The Pittsburgh Steelers were more than obliged to take him with their pick, as most analysts referred to his selection as a “sleeper” or “steal” of the entire event.
Wilson has yet to make any major splash on defense as predicted, but he has seen a fair share of playing time despite not being a starter. Rotating in with veteran Elandon Roberts and alongside Pro Bowler Patrick Queen, Wilson has played 41% of the Steelers defensive plays while adding another 74% of snaps on special teams.
The rookie has been solid and mostly mistake-free, giving the defense an added fresh body that can roam from sideline-to-sideline with the best of them.
Troy Fautanu
Fautanu gets an honorable mention here, despite playing a single game before being placed on IR this past week.
In his Week 2 debut against the Denver Broncos, Fautanu started over second-year tackle Broderick Jones on the right side and made Jones nearly expendable right away. According to PFF:
“[Fautanu] allowed no pressures and went unbeaten across 29 pass-blocking snaps. Fautanu also was beaten on only one of his 26 run-defense snaps, pending final grade reviews.”
Unfortunately, Fautanu may miss a significant portion of the remaining season due an injury sustained last week, with some reports surfacing that he may not be able to return until the playoffs.
Mason McCormick
A two-time FCS All-American from two-time national champion South Dakota State University, McCormick was to develop at a slower pace than Zach Frazier. But like his fellow offensive line teammate, he was thrust into a prominent role in Week 3’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers, subbing at times for the inactive Troy Fautanu and left guard, Spencer Anderson. (Anderson is also filling in due to injuries.)
The result saw McCormick play 25 snaps in his debut, often lining up all over the field – even as an eligible receiver in jumbo packages. McCormick’s future is bright, but he may have to wait for more opportunities as other Steelers offensive linemen, such as an injured Isaac Seumalo, get healthy and return to their starting spot.
Beanie Bishop
Another West Virginia alum, Bishop went undrafted this season but quickly signed with Pittsburgh as the team needed help at the slot cornerback position.
Bishop has played in 60% of the Steelers games thus far, accumulating six solo tackles, including this huge play that stopped a potential Falcons comeback.
Underrated play on Sunday – Beanie Bishop tackles Ray Ray Mccloud in bounds to keep the clock running with 20 seconds left pic.twitter.com/cJkdqViBJr
— MinkahBurgh Steelers (@SteelersWin109) September 11, 2024
PFF gave Bishop the highest coverage grade of any rookie cornerback during Week 1 with a 64.7 grade.
