The development of Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick will be crucial to the Steelers run game

The Steelers spent three high picks on offensive linemen in the 2024 NFL draft, choosing Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick in rounds one, two and four, respectively.

Fautanu was injured for most of the season and barely played, but Frazier and McCormick were mainstays up front. Frazier started sixteen of the eighteen games at center, counting the playoffs, while McCormick started fifteen of eighteen after taking over at right guard for an injured James Daniels. Both players struggled with the rookie learning curve, and with their role in coordinator Arthur Smith’s run game. But they showed enough to raise expectations for year two, and to pose the possibility of a significantly improved Steelers run game should they meet them.

Watching film of Frazier and McCormick last season yields a few observations. The first concerns their effort. Both players embraced a “play-to-the-whistle” mentality. They were rarely caught standing around watching a play. They were constantly engaged with defenders or seeking engagement. When the whistle blew to end the action, their hands were on an opponent, and they were finishing a block.

Below is a clip of a mid-zone run from Pittsburgh’s Week 6 game in Las Vegas. Frazier (54) and McCormick (66) have a combo block on the nose to the middle linebacker. Their job is to double the nose until the backer commits, at which point one will chip off to block the backer while the other will stay on the nose.

Initially, they get great movement on the double team, driving the nose off the ball and creating a nice cutback lane for Najee Harris. But then, as the play winds back, the nose splits the double and McCormick is unable to redirect to the backer, leaving both defenders unblocked.

This is a breakdown in communication and technique work on their part, both of which will take time and reps to perfect. It’s what happens next, though, that impressed me. Upon realizing they’ve lost their blocks, both linemen sprint after the play and finish it by driving Vegas defenders into the ground. McCormick talks a little smack for good measure after climbing off of the pile. The effort here is stellar, which we saw constantly from both players as rookies. They were raw, they were learning on the job, but they were tenacious.

While going through some Steelers film this morning, I found this clip. It tells you a lot about Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick.

This is a mid-zone run from their Week 6 game last season in Las Vegas. Frazier (54) and McCormick (66) have a combo block on the nose to the middle… pic.twitter.com/KoIJVJVPhW

— Kevin Smith (@KTSmithFFSN) June 5, 2025

Here’s a similar example. On this play, McCormick gets a chip from Broderick Jones on the 2i defensive tackle, then stays on him and drives him into the ground at the feet of the running back. Frazier delivers a chip of his own onto the adjacent tackle before climbing and engaging the linebacker, whom he controls and rides out of the play through the whistle. There’s nothing fancy here, and these clips won’t make anyone’s highlight reel. But this is winning football in the trenches. And it starts with both Frazier and McCormick having the right mentality:

More from Frazier and McCormick.

One thing you notice while watching them play: they are always engaged with a defender or seeking engagement. They rarely stand around watching a play. When the whistle blows, they have their hands on a defender and are finishing a block.

The… pic.twitter.com/FDafip1aDw

— Kevin Smith (@KTSmithFFSN) June 5, 2025

I mentioned, though, that there’s a learning curve for each, and that both need to develop for the run game to improve. This is most glaring in their ability to play in space. McCormick struggles more in this area than does Frazier, but both have room for growth.

Fans lamented last season that Arthur Smith ran a zone-heavy scheme that didn’t seem to match the abilities of his players. This is true, but in Smith’s defense, he was working around some limitations. Smith prefers zone schemes to gap schemes, but he cut way back on his use of outside zone last year compared to its use when he was the play-caller in Atlanta in 2023. That year, he ran outside zone 205 times. Last season in Pittsburgh, he ran it 130 times. Some of that had to do with the fact the Steelers lacked a back who excelled in the scheme. But Frazier, and in particular McCormick, struggled with it as well.

On outside zone, one of the interior linemen has to climb to the second level to block a linebacker. It’s a full-flow play, meaning everything is moving in the same direction at the snap, and linebackers react quickly as a result. Both players struggled getting to backers on these plays, which often led to poor results.

McCormick’s limitations as a puller also eliminated gap runs like power, counter and buck sweep. In the clip below, you can see how McCormick struggles to get out fast enough on his pull to kick the corner, who is setting the edge. Meanwhile, Frazier overplays the backer, allowing him to back-door the play to the football:

Last thought on Frazier/McCormick…

Their most glaring weakness last season was their ability to play in space, particularly McCormick. That seemed to limit the run game, as it reduced Arthur Smith’s use of wide zone and it all but eliminated the pin-and-pull and… pic.twitter.com/nPKKyNi5N9

— Kevin Smith (@KTSmithFFSN) June 5, 2025

McCormick talked about his struggles at last week’s mini-camp, telling reporters the following:

“Last year, as a rookie, there was kind of a lot of thinking — ‘How do I hit this block?’ or ‘How do I do this?’ I just want all of that stuff to become second nature so I can really fine-tune the little details and stuff like that — which, I feel like it has been. I haven’t really forgot anything from last year. Through the offseason, I’ve really hit the ground running, and I feel like ready to take that step.”

Taking that step would be huge for the success of the offense as a whole. Even with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, Smith is likely to rely on a strong run game to make the offense go. To do that, the growth of the line is paramount. A leap from both Frazier and McCormick in their second seasons could be the catalyst.

For more of my work, follow me on Twitter @KTSmithFFSN, and tune into my “Call Sheet Daily” podcast, which runs every Monday-Friday on most major platforms.