Mainly a left guard coming out of South Dakota State, new Pittsburgh Steelers interior offensive lineman Mason McCormick is already on the move.
On Day 1 of Steelers rookie minicamp at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side, McCormick worked primarily at right guard, a position he barely played while with the Jackrabbits.
Though it remains to be seen if that’s his spot moving forward, McCormick is ready for anything when it comes to the Steelers and whatever his role may be.
“I’m ready for whatever they throw at me,” McCormick said to reporters on Day 1 of rookie minicamp, according to video via Aaron Becker on Twitter. “I just wanna help the organization in any way that I can.”
That’s largely been McCormick’s mindset since the Steelers drafted him in the fourth round at No. 119 overall.
Though he was primarily a left guard in college, McCormick worked out for the Steelers as a center prior to the draft. Now he is getting work at right guard initially in the Black and Gold.
Having 3,378 snaps at left guard seems like it would make for a difficult transition for McCormick to flip sides, but that isn’t the case.
“At South Dakota State, they prepared me for everything,” McCormick said. “They wanted us to be as versatile as possible and I think that’s something that can help all of us at this level.”
It’s certainly going to help McCormick early on.
When the Steelers drafted him, it made some sense that he could be the longtime answer at left or right guard with Isaac Seumalo turning 31 and James Daniels entering the final year of his contract, as well as backup interior offensive lineman Nate Herbig entering the final year of his contract, too.
McCormick’s versatility, whether it’s at left guard, center or right guard, will be key. That should set him up for success long-term and will give Steelers offensive line coach Pat Meyer the ability to simply get the best five linemen on the field at once, regardless of true position.
