The Steelers have been lauded for many of their selections in the 2024 NFL Draft. It was a surprise that Troy Fautanu was there at 20, Zach Frazier fills a big need for them, and both Roman Wilson and Payton Wilson seem to be steals at the spots they were selected.
Sometimes the Day One and Day Two picks get all the love, but there are still a lot of great players to be had on Day Three. That’s what separates the good teams from the great teams – the depth they can add to their rosters during these later rounds.
And the Steelers made some solid selections there as well, with one standing out to Bootleg Football podcast host Brett Kollmann. He selected Mason McCormick, the offensive lineman from South Dakota State as the Steelers’ best value pick of the draft.
“Mason McCormick was the 8th most athletic guard prospect out of 1,583 guards since 1987.” Kollmann said. “This dude is a freak. And he’s an ultra-experienced freak. He had over 50 starts across 6 seasons at South Dakota State. And uniquely for any experienced guard prospect, he also has experience calling protections as a guard.”
I had the chance to watch McCormick at the Shrine Bowl in person, and I largely agree with this assessment. Does he have crazy upside? No, probably not at his age for his rookie season. But his floor is very high, and that’s pretty much the best you can expect from a fourth-round offensive lineman. And his athletic ability gives him a higher ceiling than your usual 6th-year offensive guard.
The other interesting piece about McCormick is his versatility. He can play both guard spots and spent some time under center at the Shrine Bowl, where he looked more than capable. The Steelers made a point to not only add bodies but also versatility to the offensive line group through the draft.
“For the first time in a long time, I actually think the Steelers are pretty deep up front.” Kollmann continued. “It’s been almost a decade since I think I could say that. I loved all of the Steelers’ offensive line picks.”
The Steelers will likely have two rookie Day One starters, in Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier. McCormick would likely only see the field this season if there was an injury to Isaac Seumalo or James Daniels and he could slot in at guard. There’s also a chance if Zach Frazier gets hurt that McCormick would be the best in-house option, but we will see how much work he gets there over the offseason.
McCormick isn’t going to thrill any of the casual Steelers fans, and he’s not going to be the biggest breakout rookie of the year by any means. But in the fourth round, he’s a great value and has a clearly defined role on a team looking to make some noise in 2024.
