Bolstering the interior offensive line depth is one of the biggest needs that the Packers have entering the 2024 NFL Draft, and West Virginia’s Zach Frazier could be a Day 2 option for them.
Frazier, a Senior Bowl invitee, measures in at 6-3, 313 pounds and posted a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 7.67. This is slightly below the 8.0 mark that has often been a line in the sand for many of Brian Gutekunst’s draft picks. In 2022, Sean Rhyan, a Day 2 pick, posted a RAS of 8.17–which is at least in the neighborhood of where Frazier is.
Josh Myers, who was recovering from an injury during the pre-draft process, didn’t record a RAS, but for some context, he measured in at 6-5 and weighed 310 pounds, with 32-inch arms. Frazier’s arms are 32.25 inches.
On the field, Frazier is a very experienced player with over 3,200 career snaps. In 2020, he played 542 snaps at left guard but has been at center for the last three years.
The 2023 season was Frazier’s best, allowing no sacks and only six pressures, ranking 13th in pass-blocking efficiency. Between the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Frazier surrendered on average only two sacks and 12 pressures during that span.
Frazier has also graded out very well as a run-blocker by PFF’s metrics, including ranking 15th in that category last season, and has experience in a zone-blocking scheme.
His 2023 season ended a bit prematurely when Frazier suffered a fractured fibula in a November game against Baylor. As of early March, he was “almost fully recovered.”
For more on Frazier’s game, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com wrote this in his pre-draft report:
“Frazier is a very physical center with average size and length. In the pass game, he is quick out of his stance, plays with a wide, firm base and immediately anchors. He has the lateral quickness to redirect and mirror while playing with excellent eyes/awareness. He will occasionally get overaggressive, duck his head and put himself in a tough spot, but he’s athletic enough to recover. In the run game, he locks on with strong hands, rolls his hips and uproots defenders. He is quick to the second level and adjusts well in space. He is a bulldog, collecting one knockdown after another to finish plays. Frazier was a four-time state wrestling champion in high school and he carries that tenacity over to the football field. He will be a Day 1 starter and tempo setter for the team that drafts him.”
At a minimum, adding Frazier to the Packers roster will provide some needed competition for Josh Myers at center or at least a backup option if Myers were to get injured. Even if Frazier doesn’t start Day 1 for the Packers, he could be a long-term answer at the position, with 2024 being the final year of Myers’ rookie deal.
With Frazier having past experience at guard, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Packers give him some reps at right guard as well. For one, we know how important versatility along the offensive line is to the Packers, but I imagine that Matt LaFleur also wants some added competition for Sean Rhyan as well.
As good as the offensive tackle class is in the draft, there are far fewer immediate impact options along the interior.
Frazier is Jeremiah’s 37th ranked prospect overall and the third interior offensive lineman on his big board, behind Duke’s Graham Barton and Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson.
