Not only will Pittsburgh Steelers’ fourth-round pick and South Dakota State guard Mason McCormick have to adjust to a step up in competition, but he’ll also have to change some of his techniques. While McCormick is a punishing run blocker who can pull and crunch linebackers, the way he’ll be asked to do so in Pittsburgh is different from what he did in college.
Linemen, guards in particular, are asked to pull in one of two ways. There’s the “skip pull” and the “square pull.” In college, McCormick used the latter on counters and traps. The skip pull is the lineman facing the defense as he pulls, “skipping” laterally as he moves down the line and up through the hole. His shoulders stay square to the line of scrimmage.
You can see Mason McCormick use the technique in these two clips Dave Bryan tweeted out in his tape review of him. He’s the left guard pulling to the right in both clips.
Legitimately fun clips, no question. But there is one issue.
In the NFL, most coaches teach their linemen the square pull. The guard will be square and his shoulders/body parallel to the line of scrimmage as he works down the line before getting upfield to hit his target. Here’s an example of it. Instead of taking a lateral step like the skip pull, they’ll drop their inside foot to open their hips and turn before working down the track. Watch LG Isaac Seumalo execute it in last year’s Wild Card game against the Buffalo Bills.
You can see the difference. I’m sure an O-line coach can detail the pros and cons of each. The square pull, despite that initial drop step, is overall faster than the skip pull and that’s probably why most NFL linemen use it. Speed is the name of the game, and linemen have to stay on track and not make the running back wait.
It’s a change Mason McCormick is capable of making. Like any college player going to a new coaching staff in the NFL, there will be changes in technique. Some big, some more subtle, and this won’t be the only adjustment he’ll have to make under Pat Meyer. Pass protection is a whole ‘nother can of worms with Meyer’s aggressive brand of sets. Don’t be surprised if McCormick looks a little clunky out of the gate. He won’t be the only one, but there will be plenty of rewiring in his footwork he’ll have to learn.
