The New York Giants (2-5) will visit the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Monday night in a Week 8 battle.
That, of course, provides those of us here at Giants Wire the opportunity to hypothetically steal from the Steelers’ roster in search of depth and/or talent upgrades for Big Blue.
In looking over Pittsburgh’s roster, the options are robust and plentiful. Perhaps more than any other team the Giants have faced this season, the Steelers have elite-level talent on the top end and impressive depth.
Guard James Daniels would have been a very tempting player to steal had he not been lost for the season due to an Achilles tear. Then there are luxury options like running back Najee Harris and wide receiver George Pickens.
There’s also All-Pro edge rusher T.J. Watt but given the presence of Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, he is also more of a luxury.
Ultimately, we went more practical with this pick and chose to steal rookie cetner Zach Frazier.
Maybe it’s too early to assume Frazier is a long-term asset or that Giants center John Michael Schmitz isn’t the answer. However, through seven weeks, Frazier is everything New York wanted out of JMS and everything JMS currently isn’t.
While Schmitz has improved this season, he’s still ranked 31st out of 38 qualifying centers (via PFF). In comparison, Frazier is ranked fourth overall and has proven himself to be a dominant run blocker. He’s also graded significantly higher than Schmitz in pass protection (63.8 to 41.9).
Would this theft be risky given Frazier’s inexperience? Yes, but if his early-career success carries over, he would be a rock for the Giants for years to come.
What are your thoughts, Giants fans? Would you pick Zach Frazier or would you steal an entirely different player from the Pittsburgh Steelers?
[lawrence-related id=734931,734944,734946]