Mason McCormick, IOL South Dakota State: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

McCormick was a zero-star recruit from Roosevelt High School in Sioux Falls, S.D. in the class of 2018

South Dakota State guard Mason McCormick went from a zero-star recruit to a legitimate pro prospect. The FCS All-American’s tone-setting mentality will attract attention in the 2024 NFL Draft. McCormick projects as a day three pick.

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Mason McCormick, IOL South Dakota State: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Sixth-year redshirt senior left guard from Sioux Falls, S.D.

Background: McCormick was a zero-star recruit from Roosevelt High School in Sioux Falls, S.D. in the class of 2018. He earned First Team All-State honors as a member of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader Elite 45 after leading Roosevelt High School to the state championship game in 2017. McCormick also competed in track and field. He placed second in the discus and fifth in the shot put during the Class AA state meet as a high school senior.

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: 2020-21 Second Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC), 2020-21 HERO Sports FCS All-America Team, 2021 Second Team All-MVFC, 2021 HERO Sports FCS All-America Team, 2022 First Team All-MVFC, 2022 HERO Sports FCS All-America Team, 2022 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) FCS Coaches’ First Team All-American

Pros: More than 2,500 offensive snaps at left guard entering 2023, broad upper body, hip flexibility to torque and twist defensive linemen while fighting for positioning, wants to maul and pancake defenders, upper body redirects quickly to hit the down lineman and then the blitzer in pass pro, keeps his head on a swivel, good awareness to diagnose stunts although he is a step late at times, stronger anchor than pad level and lower body build suggest, displayed solid anchor vs. Lukas Van Ness (2022), uses a hump move to toss the lineman off balance before finishing them, likes to go high with his arms and drive defenders down into the turf, upper body strength to toss and shove defenders out of rushing lanes, loads and uncoils from hips as a run blocker, mobility to handle short pulls for gap runs, comfortable climbing to the second level, good speed and mobility on combo blocks, establishes inside or outside leverage well when sealing running lanes open

Cons: Age, one Power Five matchup in 2022, only significant experience is a left guard, lower body appears lean, arm length will need verification, natural size and elevated pad level surrender leverage, hand placement is high and wide at times, must keep his chest clean more often, hands need to be firmer and establish clamp earlier in the play, plays pattycake with the defensive lineman, hand speed and usage leaves him vulnerable to swipes, high hands and jersey grabbing style will draw more holding calls in the NFL, primarily relies on upper body strength, looks lost in space when a defender isn’t lined up on his nose, outside shoulder needs to be stronger in pass pro, stops feet in pass pro late in games, becomes unbalanced and feet get stagnant late in plays, chest occasionally gets over his knees and leads to lunging into blocks, vulnerable to push-pull and swim moves, threatened by defender’s quickness off the line, beaten across his face by explosive rushers, physical strength was tested by Iowa (2022) and came up short at times in the run game, occasionally out-leveraged at the point of attack, ducks his head into blocks when pulling, awkward movement as the puller on gap runs

Overview: McCormick enters 2023 with more than 2,500 offensive snaps at left guard. The sixth-year lineman has a broad upper body and build that resembles a tackle, but he lacks the arm length and experience to play outside in the NFL. The first thing that pops out about McCormick on film is his mentality. He wants to maul and pancake defenders and has the physical tools to do it. McCormick uses his hip flexibility to torque and twist defensive linemen to gain a leverage advantage or throw them off balance. Then, he uses his strong upper body to execute a hump move, tossing the defender permanently off balance before McCormick drives them into the ground. He’ll also attempt to work over the top of defenders and then drop his full body weight down on them, flattening the opposition. McCormick uses these techniques as a pass protector and run blocker. In pass protection, his upper body redirects quickly to hit the down lineman and then the blitzing linebacker on the same play. He keeps his head on a swivel, which helps diagnose stunts. The redshirt senior usually picks up on stunts, but sometimes he’s late to get in front of the action. Despite playing with an elevated pad level and lean lower half, McCormick deploys a sturdy anchor that is rarely broken. He held his own in several reps against Lukas Van Ness in 2022. In the run game, McCormick loads and uncoils from his hips as he exits his stance. He has the mobility to handle short pulls for gap runs and is comfortable climbing to the second level. He displays good speed and mobility on combo blocks and establishes inside or outside leverage well when sealing running lanes. Unfortunately, South Dakota State only played one Power Five program in 2022. During that game against Iowa, McCormick struggled to seal defenders or keep them out of rushing lanes. He also generated noticeably less displacement as a run blocker. McCormick was sloppy late in the game against Iowa. He stopped his feet in pass protection several times and was late to recognize stunts and games by the defensive line. McCormick is an older lineman who only has significant experience at left guard. His lower body looks lean, and his arm length leads to defenders outreaching him. The South Dakota native’s natural size and elevated pad level surrender leverage. His hand placement is high and wide at times, which frequently leads to him giving up his chest. McCormick needs to play with firmer hands and establish his clamp earlier in the play. He plays too much pattycake with the defensive lineman, which leaves his hands vulnerable to swipes. McCormick’s high hands and jersey grabbing will draw more holding calls in the NFL. He relies more on his upper body strength than technique. He looks lost in space when a defender isn’t lined up on his nose or shoulder. On extended plays, McCormick becomes unbalanced, and his feet stagnate. His chest occasionally gets over his knees, which leads to him lunging into blocks. The FCS All-American is vulnerable to push-pull and swim moves. He’s beaten across his face by explosive rushers. Defenders out-leverage McCormick at the point of attack. He looks awkward pulling on gap runs and ducks his head into blocks on those plays.

Overall, McCormick is a menacing lineman who brings a tone-setting mentality to the field, but his hand placement and leverage need to be adjusted. South Dakota State doesn’t play a Power Five program in 2023, which robs McCormick of a chance to showcase himself against higher-level competition. The redshirt senior could go as high as the fourth round if he cleans up his technique.

Role & Scheme Fit: Left guard in an inside zone scheme

Round Projection: Late Fifth to Mid Sixth

Size: 6'4", 305 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 06-30-23