Raiders Draft 2025: UTSA cornerback Zah Frazier fits the Pete Carroll mold

With size, speed, length, and production, Roadrunner defender can be a late-round steal for Las Vegas

Pete Carroll is no stranger to Roadrunners cornerbacks.

After all, the now Las Vegas Raiders head coach went to the University of Texas-San Antonio (USTA) well once before in 2022 with the Seattle Seahawks and snagged a late-round diamond in Riq Woolen in the fifth round of the NFL Draft.

The Silver & Black’s new captain has another chance three years later to snatch another UTSA product in Zah Frazier — a cornerback that fits the Carroll mold with his size, speed, length, and production.

At 6-foot-3 and 186 pounds along with 32 7/8-inch arms, Frazier clocked in a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and, more importantly, notched six interceptions in an impressive senior year at USTA in 2024.

By The Numbers
Zah Frazier, Cornerback, UTSA

• 2024: 24 total tackles (20 solo), 1 tackle for loss, 6 interceptions, 9 passes defensed, 1 forced fumble
• Career: 34 total tackles (29 solo), 1 tackle for loss, 6 interceptions, 10 passes defensed, 1 forced fumble

How He Fits

The Raiders pecking order at cornerback is far from settled.

Jakorian Bennett, who enters his third year and had a strong second season in Las Vegas, is slated to be be a potential starter on the outside. Veteran Eric Stokes and 2024 draft pick Decamerion Richardson are slated to compete for an outside spot, too.

Adding another tall and rangy cornerback who can disrupt passing windows and pick passes off is ideal for Las Vegas’ cornerback room.

Frazier can jump into the fray at outside cornerback and bring young fire and spirit to the group. With the length to press and jam receivers, Frazier is more effective in zone (Cover 3/Cover 4) than in man but can develop into an all-around defender.

Even though he’s profiled as a late-round prospect, Frazier brings the elite recovery speed, length, and ball-tracking skills that Carroll covets from a cornerback. While not as athletic as fellow UTSA product Woolen, Frazier’s game tape in 2024 is better than the film Woolen established heading into the 2022 draft.

Strengths

Frazier boasts elite traits (speed, size, athleticism) that teams who put premium on them, will find very appealing.

Frazier is a smooth runner who looks like a gazelle with his easy strides and his explosion is evident from the get as he reaches top speed very quickly. This allows him to shadow fleet-footed receivers, and when he’s beaten, his acceleration allows for desired recovery speed.

His long arms allows him to disrupt passing windows and timing and along with his vertical leap, height, and ball tracking skillset, Frazier is productive on 50-50 type passes. The closing speed allows Frazier to be a supreme nuisance as quarterback and receiver need to have millisecond timing lest the throws getting swatted or intercepted.

All that combines into a prototype for teams that prefer big, fast corners who can matchup with top outside receivers.

Weaknesses

Blessed with the physical tools, Frazier requires coaching and refinement to press technique and route recognition to allow for his size and speed to be even more of a factor as a defender.

Frazier can rely too much on his physical gifts, but matching the cerebral part of his game to said gifts will make him an even more difficult challenge to throw the ball at.

He also needs coaching and weight room work to improve his ability as a run defender and tackler. While he’s willing to mix it up to defend the run, he can get bodied and washed out of the play due to his inability to disengage with blockers.

Frazier’s big 2024 was his lone standout year with UTSA so teams may want a more consistent year-by-year production. Also, Frazier is 24 already and turns 25 on October 5.

That all said, Frazier is a traits-based prospect and is a scheme/system fit, but with coaching and refinement, can follow a similar path forged by Woolen.

Projection

Earmarked as a Day 3 selection that profiles more as a fifth-round pick, the highest projection on Frazier is the fourth round.

The Raiders own the the 143rd pick in the fifth and the 108th selection in the fourth rounds. The team also has a trio of sixth-round picks (180th, 213th, and 215th) at its disposal so if the Silver & Black are interested in Frazier and he’s there in the latter rounds, Las Vegas can wait or trade up.

Frazier’s size, speed, length, and ballhawk ability tend to transcend scheme and profile fits, but a long and angular cornerback who has an eye for the ball is a Carroll special. Like Woolen before him, Frazer has the making of another late-round gem that the wily head coach adds to his roster.

Frazier is the type of prospect that gives us the opportunity to truly see if Raiders defensive backs coaches Marcus Robertson and Joe Woods are indeed worth the salaries Las Vegas is giving them.