Mason McCormick
Pittsburgh SteelersUNDERPAIDModel Score
How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →
Season Stats · 17 games
Draft & College
He went about where consensus had him.
Comps
STM Take
Tier 5 (#36) rookie to tier 6 (#47) sophomore is a measured 11-spot regression for a 4th-round pick in his first two starter seasons. The South Dakota State back-to-back FCS national championships (2022, 2023) plus the Steelers offensive line continuity around him gives him basic structural support. The 2026 question is whether McCormick crosses into tier 5 territory or whether tier 6 becomes the stable Day-3 baseline.
McCormick came out of South Dakota State as the Pittsburgh Steelers' 4th-round pick (119th overall) in 2024 after winning back-to-back FCS national championships with the Jackrabbits (2022, 2023). The Steelers installed him as the starting right guard from week one of his rookie year as part of the offensive line rebuild around Broderick Jones and Zach Frazier. His STTM arc tier 5 (#36) rookie to tier 6 (#47) sophomore is a 11-spot regression that flags either year-two struggles or surrounding line context.
Strengths
- Rookie tier 5 (#36) STTM finish as a 4th-round pick puts him on the right side of the Day 3 IOL developmental curve.
- South Dakota State back-to-back FCS national championships (2022, 2023) gives him competitive pedigree that the NFL transition has validated.
Concerns
- 11-spot drop from tier 5 (#36) to tier 6 (#47) in year two flags either year-two struggles or surrounding line context.
- Steelers' broader offensive line investment pattern (Frazier, Jones, multiple Day 2 picks) signals the front office may still draft an upgrade.
What to watch: Whether McCormick crosses into tier 5 or better in 2026, the threshold for confirming the rookie finish was structural rather than situational.