Which Steelers offensive lineman has best shot at new NFL award?
Which Steelers offensive lineman has best shot at new NFL award?
The NFL just announced a brand-new award that will be given out annually to the league's best offensive lineman — the Protector of the Year award — but which Steeler has the best shot at winning?
Troy Vincent, NFL executive vice president of football operations, explained how the award will be given out — via a panel of OL voters. Nick Shook of NFL.com captured his comments below:
"[Dion Dawkins] was truly instrumental, him and Andrew Whitworth, of just making sure that we recognize the big fellas. LeCharles Bentley, Jason Kelce, Shaun O'Hara, Orlando Pace, Will Shields, and Andrew Whitworth will be the panel. … They've come up with a criteria on skills, metrics, impact, leadership, durability, and strength of the opponent. We'll be tracking that quarterly with this group."
When deciding on which of the five projected Steelers' starting offensive linemen could match these criteria, one second-year player stands alone: C Zach Frazier.
Frazier, in his rookie season, looked dominant — giving up just one sack, two QB hits, and 12 pressures on 548 pass block attempts. He also committed one fewer penalty than Eagles OL Lane Johnson — last season's probable winner if the award was available in 2024.
In Year 2, Frazier will be charged with leading a younger, much healthier Steelers offensive line — and it shouldn't surprise anyone if he's in the conversation for the Protector of the Year award at the end of 2025.
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