ON THE RADAR
WVU’s Frazier almost fully recovered from a fractured leg
INDIANAPOLIS — They don’t build centers in labs, but if they did, West Virginia’s Zach Frazier might be the prototype. At 6-foot-3 and 314 pounds, Frazier has the size, athleticism and tenacity for the position.
Frazier has his parents to thank for that. His father, Ray, was a center at Fairmont State. His mother, Heather, came from a wrestling family. All three of her brothers and her father were state wrestling champions.
Zach lived up to the family tradition in wrestling, taking home four West Virginia state titles as a heavyweight, and now he’s trying to reach the ultimate goal in his other sport by being drafted by an NFL team.
“I feel like it was a perfect combination,” Frazier said. “My dad was my football influence. From a young age, he was my coach. He taught me technique. He also grew my love for football.
“My mom taught me how to prepare for matches and football games from a mental standpoint and a physical standpoint.”
Frazier is one of the top center prospects in this draft. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network has Frazier as his secondranked center behind Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson.
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has Frazier as his third center behind Powers-Johnson and Duke’s Graham Barton.
That trio might be closer in the rankings than some might think.
Powers-Johnson established himself as the top center at the Senior Bowl because he was the only one of them who participated in Mobile. Frazier was there for the week and met with teams, but he was still rehabilitating from a fractured fibula that he suffered in a game against Baylor in November.
Frazier did position drills at the combine and the bench press as he inches closer to a clean bill of health. He expects to run the 40-yard dash and do the other agility drills at the Big 12’s pro day later this month. He expects to be able to participate fully in an NFL offseason program once he is drafted.
Frazier was delayed for his media session with reporters on Saturday because he was going through additional medical testing, but he does not expect the injury to adversely affect his draft stock.
“I was lucky,” Frazier said. “I just broke the bone. I didn’t do any ligament damage. If I did ligament damage, maybe it would have [hurt my draft stock.]. But the bone is healed.”
Even though he grew up a little more than an hour south of Pittsburgh in Fairmont, W.Va., Frazier grew up a Dolphins fan. Ray Frazier is originally from Florida and named his son after Pro Football Hall of Famer Zach Thomas, the former Dolphins linebacker. Frazier wears No. 54 because it was Thomas’ number.
The Steelers are scouting centers hard. Last month, they released Mason Cole, their starter the past two seasons. Their goal is to find a young center to anchor their line.
Barton is one of the most versatile offensive linemen in this draft. Scouts believe he could play any position in the NFL, but most believe his best fit is at center after being Duke’s left tackle for the past three seasons.
Barton hasn’t played center since his freshman season, but he doesn’t think that will be an issue if he is moved inside.
“It’s like riding a bike,” Barton said. “It’s a learned skill, and once you have that skill, it’s something you carry on. I’m definitely going to work on that and be ready to go at any position.”
Sedrick Van Pran
-Granger also could be a starting option for the Steelers. He was a three-year starter at Georgia and helped the Bulldogs win two national championships. He played with Broderick Jones and Darnell Washington, a couple of former Georgia players who had strong rookie seasons for the Steelers after being drafted last year.
“It would be a great fit for sure, being with the guys from Georgia and click with those guys,” Van PranGranger said. “It would be amazing. There’s a lot of chemistry.”