Steelers 4th-round pick Mason McCormick ready to compete for starting spot at guard

When he met with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the predraft process April 15, Mason McCormick’s visit to UPMC Rooney Sports Complex coincided with Troy Fautanu’s top-30 interview.

Little did McCormick know at the time that he and Fautanu would become teammates less than two weeks later.

Using another draft pick to address the offensive line, the Steelers selected McCormick, a sixth-year senior guard from South Dakota State, in the fourth round Saturday. McCormick was the No. 119 player selected overall and joined first-round pick Fautanu and second-round center Zach Frazier as offensive linemen drafted by the Steelers.

Although he was taken three rounds after Fautanu, who fills a need at one of the tackle spots, McCormick is preparing to take on a starting role as well.

“I’m ready to be plug and play where I can,” he said.

The Steelers have veterans at both guard spots in Isaac Seumalo on the left side and James Daniels on the right. Which will make it difficult for McCormick to be more than a role player in his rookie season.

Offensive line coach Pat Meyer, however, isn’t discounting anything.

“He’ll come in and compete from Day 1,” Meyer said.

Meyer met with the 6-foot-4, 309-pound McCormick at the NFL Combine and again during the top-30 process.

“The kid is tough. He plays football the right way,” Meyer said. “He wanted to be a Steeler. I know that from talking to him and working the kid out.”

McCormick’s athleticism was on display at the NFL Combine where he had some of the top testing numbers among all offensive linemen. He tied for the top score in the broad jump at 9 feet, 9 inches, he was fourth in the vertical jump and the 20-yard shuttle and tied with Fautanu for seventh in the 10-yard split.

“The film is the film. It’s what we base it on, but if you have guys that are close, you go back to the numbers and look at that,” Meyer said. “It gives you an idea of his athletic quickness.”

McCormick made 57 starts at left guard at South Dakota State, and he was a three-time team captain and two-time national champion for the Jackrabbits. He said he took snaps at center in practice and can play either guard spot.

“I bring an intensity to the game,” McCormick said. “I play with a ton of effort, and I want to be somebody who gives everything I have to the team.”