Everyone knew that the Pittsburgh Steelers were not going to shy away from a commitment to the running game when they tabbed Arthur Smith as their new offensive coordinator this offseason. They doubled down on that emphasis by taking Washinton OT Troy Fautanu and West Virginia C Zach Frazier with their first two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. They followed that up by taking South Dakota State OL Mason McCormick in the fourth round Saturday.
NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller is evidently a big fan of McCormick. On ESPN’s draft coverage, he offered his analysis of the move.
“Mason McCormick, 1,600 snaps in college,” Miller said. “Didn’t take one of them at center, but then he goes to the Shrine Bowl and takes snaps at center. NFL teams love that. My goodness, the power at the point of attack, he’s a people mover. That’s what he does, and the agility is fantastic. I don’t want to overhype a fourth-round pick and give expectations that aren’t there, but I think he has starting chops in the NFL. We’ve seen the Steelers address the interior of the offensive line. Mason McCormick, whether he’s a guard or a center, he has the ability to be a starter, and look at the interior they built here. My goodness, the Steelers are cooking.”
McCormick can provide a physical blocking presence in the interior of the line to help create holes for Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. He’s also a phenomenal athlete at the guard position. When compared historically to guards coming through the draft, McCormick had a Relative Athletic Score of 9.96 out of 10. That’s what Miller is talking about in regard to his agility.
Out of the guards who have done enough athletic testing during the pre-draft process since 1987, McCormick is the seventh-most athletic guard prospect. So when you can combine incredible athleticism with a mauler mentality, McCormick has the potential to be an incredible asset on the offensive line. Miller sees that, and evidently so do the Steelers.
What will be interesting is how the Steelers adjust the offensive line throughout the rest of the offseason and into training camp. Isaac Seumalo and James Daniels were the starters last year. When I did a study of offensive line RAS for Arthur Smith’s offensive lines in Tennessee and Atlanta along with the Steelers’ line last season, both Seumalo and Daniels were below the average of Smith’s players.
McCormick is a much better athlete than either of the Steelers’ starters from 2023. Combined with his physicality, that could open a door for him to start in Pittsburgh sooner rather than later. Miller certainly sees that potential in him.
