Just a week ago, after Nate Herbig was placed on season-ending IR, there was some debate over who would be the primary backup center between second-year OG Spencer Anderson and rookie OG Mason McCormick. Now, after Isaac Semalo’s injury, the debate has shifted to which of the two will be the starting left guard come Week 1.
Seumalo had several veterans’ breaks throughout training camp. Anderson and McCormick both made first-team appearances in his absence, but Anderson was the first to come off the bench. That included preseason games.
A Pittsburgh Steelers official believes McCormick could eventually be the starter in Week 1.
“I think it takes a week to get ready to take Mason McCormick, essentially cashing in a fourth-round pick that a lot of people were surprised about in April, and he’s blocked by two highly paid veterans who have done pretty well in a Steelers jersey,” Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said. North Shore Drive podcast. “I remember sitting there and thinking, ‘Wow, they’re going to really, really love him.’ And if that’s true, then yeah, I think there’s a chance they’re going to go with him in Week 1.”
Anderson has played one more year with the team, but doesn’t have much experience as a guard in the NFL. He was primarily a backup tackle for the Steelers until the offseason. He was a seventh-round pick in 2023 and played just two snaps in his rookie season.
McCormick was a six-year college player. He played 3,397 snaps as a guard in college. Zach Frazier was considered an experienced prospect coming out of college and played 2,606 snaps as a center at West Virginia.
To be fair, McCormick is a South Dakota native who played against much lower-level competition in the FCS.
Mike Tomlin, Omar Khan, Andy Wide, etc. have talked about the experience of the 2024 draft class. They are not young players like Broderick Jones last year. They should be better prepared than the average rookie who is ready to compete. Haha, McCormick is a month older than Anderson.
“Of course you would rather [Seumalo] “He’s got to stay healthy, but if that’s an excuse to bring in a rookie, a six-year college player… this is his first chance to see what he has and the future is now,” Batko said.
Tomlin said McCormick was “getting better in a hurry” during training camp and praised his transition from the FCS to the pros, and Post-Gazette insider Gary Dulac said the team was pleasantly surprised by his mobility.
McCormick has been solid in the preseason, showing off his physical ability. As a run blocker, his technique is a bit rough, but Pro Football Focus gave him a solid 77.6 pass-blocking grade, allowing two total pressures and one sack in 47 pass-blocking snaps.
