One of the questions about South Dakota State OL Mason McCormick in the draft process was what position he would play in the NFL. He played almost exclusively left guard in college but there were plenty of people projecting that he could play center. He even spent time at the Shrine Bowl working as a center. When the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted him in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, they introduced him as a guard on social media.
However, McCormick is willing to play wherever he’s needed along the interior of the line.
“I feel extremely comfortable,” McCormick said during a conference call with Pittsburgh reporters about playing different spots, according to audio courtesy of 93.7 The Fan. “I’m ready to be plug-and-play where I can, and I’m just ready to be a team-first guy and help the team however I can… I’m ready to play anywhere on the interior. I’ve repped center throughout my entire career and I feel super comfortable with that. I’m ready to play either guard as well.”
McCormick brings a wealth of starting experience rarely seen in a draft pick. He played in 70 career college games with 15 starts as a sixth-year senior in 2023. While he played almost exclusively at left guard, he said he’s gotten plenty of reps at center with South Dakota State. That versatility can be extremely valuable for a mid-round pick.
Regardless of where McCormick lines up on a given snap in the NFL, what is sure is that he brings elite athleticism and great run blocking to the team. Whether the Steelers see him as a guard or center or will use him at any of the interior line spots, he’s one of the best athletes there. He posted a 9.94 Relative Athletic Score as a guard, seventh-best since 1987, and a perfect 10.0 as a center.
McCormick utilizes that athleticism to be a force in the run game. ESPN’s Matt Miller called him a “people mover,” and that physical run-blocking ability ensures he’s got a good floor as an NFL prospect.
Joe Clark scouted McCormick here at Steelers Depot, and wrote that McCormick’s run-blocking prowess is what makes him a viable NFL player. Clark highlighted his pass protection as the major area for improvement.
Overall, I did like a lot of what I saw out of Mason McCormick, but despite his extensive collegiate experience, there are still areas for him to improve as he goes from the FCS to the NFL. He’s definitely better as a run blocker than a pass blocker, but a lot of his flaws in pass pro are fixable. He’s likely best suited for an inside run scheme in the NFL.
His issues pulling and playing in space came up a little too often on tape for me to think they’re going to go away completely, but his power in the run game and hand usage to combat pass rush moves still gives him a high floor for what he could be in the NFL.
It will be interesting to see where McCormick ends up lining up, but he seems ready to go wherever he’s needed.
