In the second round of this year's NFL Draft, the Steelers selected West Virginia's Zach Frazier, who many believe will one day become the team's next franchise center. For the time being, the team may already have a player, one whom general manager Omar Khan highlighted as a potential option prior to this year's draft.
When Nate Herbig came to the team last season, he already had 61 games and 30 starts under his belt. With the New York Jets in 2022, Herbig started 11 games, primarily at right guard. That season, he surrendered only one sack on 707 offensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
Interestingly enough, Herbig has played on 49 career snaps, with his last time coming in 2021, when he was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. During this year's organized team activities, Herbig took the majority of his snaps at center, some of them with the first-team offense. Not only was this indicative of his renewed commitment to playing the position, it was a sign of the team's faith in him becoming the guy at center.
The position's limited depth emphasizes the importance of having Herbig and Frazier. Frazier will certainly need some time to adjust to playing at the next level. Meanwhile, Herbig will have the opportunity to establish his position by demonstrating his worth during the July training camp.
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