Steelers almost made an NFL Draft mistake with ideal Mason Cole replacement

The Pittsburgh Steelers made it a point to address their offensive line early in the 2024 NFL Draft. While I may not have liked them taking Troy Fautanu No. 20 overall out of Washington initially, the pieces fell into place the following day when they drafted Zach Frazier out of nearby West Virginia. The Steelers have been horrific at center, which I thought would be their No. 1 draft-day concern.

Fortunately for us, Steelers general manager Omar Khan went on The DVE Morning Show to clear some things up with Randy Baumann over the airwaves. They almost traded up to draft Frazier...

"The reality is we're going through it exactly like everybody else is. You don't know who the people ahead of you are picking. Obviously, it's well-documented [Frazier was] a guy that we were targeting. We did have conversations about moving up; obviously, that didn't happen."

Frazier was still available the next time the Steelers were picking, so they took him No. 51 overall.

"I think it was Washington that was on the clock before us, and we were pretty much on pins and needles like everyone else was waiting to see who they would pick. Zach [Frazier] was still there, and I can't tell you how excited I am that he was there and we were able to pick him. He's a Steeler."

Right now, Frazier projects as an immediate starter for the Steelers, who will replace Mason Cole.

Pittsburgh Steelers used patience when drafting Zach Frazier at No. 51

What Khan did is the perfect example of understanding how to use the draft value chart to your team's advantage. Did they covet Frazier? Big time, clearly! However, they did not have to give up additional capital to get their guy. This pick also illustrates that it is about understanding the entire draft a team makes, rather than the entire assortment of picks. The Fautanu pick makes sense now!

Heading into the 2024 NFL Draft, I had a feeling the Steelers were going to take someone like Graham Barton, Amarius Mims or Jackson Powers-Johnson with the No. 20 overall selection, and not Fautanu. Mims was already off the board to the Cincinnati Bengals by the time the Steelers were on the clock. While Barton went a little bit later to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Powers-Johnson did not.

I thought Barton was the better fit for the Steelers initially because of his versatility. Apparently, it was the combination of Fautanu in the first and then Frazier in the second that worked for Khan and the rest of the Steelers' brass. They were able to upgrade two positions along the offensive line, rather than getting a guy who could play multiple, like Barton and Powers-Johnson were both thought to do.

It is safe to say that Khan curried some favor with Steelers fans by taking the local product in Frazier.