OL Analyst Concerned About Steelers Rookie

The Pittsburgh Steelers will have to see if their third rookie could pull off the NFL.

Mason McCormick (60) talks to another player during practice at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in / Samantha Laurey / Argus Leader / USA

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers added three offensive linemen during the 2024 NFL Draft, and so far, most of the response has been filled with praise. The team appears to have landed a new starting center and offensive tackle, but their third pick - South Dakota State guard Mason McCormick - isn't getting the same love.

Following the selection, offensive line analyst Brandon Thorn. Speaking about McCormick on his Trench Warfare podcast, Thorn said there are real worries about the talent level of the Steelers' new guard.

"McCormick’s another one of those guys I was lower on than most. I had a fifth-round grade on McCormick. It was tough to come to terms how different his film was with how he performed at the Shrine Game and how he tested," Thorn said. "He didn’t play to that level of testing, in my opinion, on film. I was just kind of overwhelmed with his film at South Dakota State. He has the size, the length, the square power, as a puller was all his best film as a puller. But in terms of base blocks, angle drive blocks, I just didn’t see it."

McCormick scored a 9.96 out of a possible 10.0 on his RAW score during the NFL Draft process. He was one of the best-looking players at the East-West Shrine Bowl, and immediately caught the eye of many NFL teams, including the Steelers.

But Thorn wants to see if everything will transfer to the NFL. Playing at South Dakota State, the talent level wasn't the same as his fellow rookies, Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier.

"They’re gonna find out real quickly if the corner that he seemingly turned from film to Shrine was like real, real legit or not, because he’s gonna have to block Keeanu Benton and Cam Heyward," Thorn said. "And I think the Steelers are gonna find out real quick if he’s gonna make it or not."

Pittsburgh doesn't need McCormick to step into a starting role this season, and could likely view him as their secondary depth piece behind Nate Herbig. But eventually, the team will want starting-caliber play from their fourth-round pick. Something Thorn remains sceptical about.

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