When it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive line this year, a lot of eyes will be on the tackles Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu. Second-year C Zach Frazier proved really quickly that he could be the next franchise center. But when G James Daniels went down for the season, then-rookie Mason McCormick stepped up.
Insider Mark Kaboly expects big things from the second-year right guard.
“I think his ceiling’s unlimited,” Kaboly said Friday on the PM Team on 93.7 The Fan. “Honestly, I think he’s really, really good.”
It’s no secret that the Steelers were impressed with McCormick’s ability to swim when pressed unexpectedly into service last season. General manager Omar Khan spoke glowingly about McCormick back in February, saying “the future’s bright” for him. His performance in place of Daniels ultimately helped make the decision to let Daniels walk much easier.
McCormick may not have received the same recognition his fellow rookie offensive lineman Frazier did. But McCormick was a fourth-round pick from an FCS school, not a second-round pick from West Virginia. So, his performance against NFL defensive linemen might be even more commendable.
But just how good can Mason McCormick get? The PM Team pressed Kaboly, and he wasn’t willing to commit to him being on the level of franchise icon Alan Faneca or even David DeCastro. But Kaboly is still optimistic that he can be a Pro Bowl-level offensive lineman. And if you hit on that in the fourth round, that’s pretty great.
The Steelers certainly seem to be happy with Mason McCormick’s progression. They did not bring in anyone to push or even replace McCormick this offseason. That gives him plenty of practice reps in training camp to continue to improve. And if he continues to work hard, maybe we’ll see just how unlimited his ceiling is.
