Much of the conversation about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ rookie offensive linemen has been centered on Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier, the team’s top two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. But they drafted a third offensive lineman, OG Mason McCormick, who has been impressing throughout training camp so far.
His early performance is perhaps more impressive than the other two, given the level of competition he faced in college. While Fautanu and Frazier played in Power Five conferences against some of the top college programs in the country, McCormick was in the FCS with South Dakota State.
“I like the fact that he doesn’t shrink from competition,” Tomlin said of McCormick during his Wednesday press conference posted on the Steelers’ YouTube page. “You gotta acknowledge just a significant step up from FCS ball to the NFL, but he’s not shrinking in the face of that.
“He’s showing a strong belief in self, and I just think that that’s a good platform in which to grow from. Belief in self, running to competition. And so he’s gotten better in a hurry, and I’m gonna be excited about watching that continue.”
Isaac Seumalo has gotten four veteran days off from training camp practice so far. Tomlin does that to rest veterans, but a large part of it is also to give opportunities to younger guys. McCormick and Spencer Anderson have benefitted from Seumalo’s days off with increased first-team opportunities.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Steelers insider Gerry Dulac recently appeared on The Lombardi Line podcast and shared a conversation he had with a Steelers coach. He shared that they are surprised with how well he moves at his size and that they “really like him” overall.
The youth movement for the offensive line is well underway. There is a strong chance that three of the five starters along the line will be rookies or second-year players this season. Fautanu just began getting more first-team opportunities and appears poised to become the Week 1 starter at right tackle. Frazier is still behind Nate Herbig, but Tomlin said opportunities will soon be coming for him to compete as well.
Mason McCormick is behind Seumalo and James Daniels at the moment, but one injury could change that in a hurry. And Daniels has already been informed that the Steelers do not plan on extending his contract which expires after the 2024 season. That opens the door for McCormick to become a starter in his second season. That is how you overhaul and completely transform an offensive line in a short period of time.
