2018 NFL Draft: Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph has first round upside
The 2018 NFL Draft has some stellar quarterbacks up for grabs. Where will Oklahoma State’s star quarterback land?
More: 2018 NFL Draft preview, player profiles and latest mock drafts
Mason Rudolph was one of the best quarterbacks in the 2017 college football season, and he will be one of the first five quarterbacks off the board in the 2018 NFL Draft. This year has a really deep quarterback class with outstanding athletes at all levels. Where will Oklahoma State’s record-shattering quarterback end up?
Strengths
If you looked up “ideal NFL quarterback” in the dictionary, Mason Rudolph pretty much fits the criteria on all counts. He stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 230 pounds. He had impressive production when at Oklahoma State. He threw 92 touchdowns in 42 career starts. He led the NCAA in yards in 2017 with 4,904 and gained 37 TDs his senior year at Oklahoma State. His total yards as a quarterback tallied more 13,000 and he completed a sturdy 63 percent of his passes.
More from Oklahoma State Cowboys
- Top 10 Big 12 Football Non-Conference games for 2023
- Oklahoma State football: Realistic expectations for Cowboys in 2023
- Oklahoma State football: 3 second-year players who’ll become stars in 2023
- Despite TCU run, Big 12 is in rough shape entering 2023
- 3 reasons Oklahoma State will beat Wisconsin in 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bowl
He is a great pocket passer, however, NFL scouts will be most concerned with is his arm. His arm has never been an issue. He passes the Bill Parcells‘ quarterback rules with flying colors. In addition, he improved every season he played under Mike Gundy, which means that he is willing and able to learn. He will never be a mobile passer and he won’t make plays on the move, but he makes the right read and is a great vertical passer.
Weaknesses
He doesn’t have very many. Some analysts are making a fuss about Rudolph playing spread offense at Oklahoma State, stating that he will have a hard time making the transition from looking to the sidelines to listening for radio signals. Really? He’s a millennial, y’all, which means that the kid is more than capable of adjusting to any kind of new technology.
Yes, that means he will have to get used to calling plays in the huddle, but cripes, if that is the only problem scouts have with him his trajectory should be stellar. He will have to work on learning to read the field, but that can be taught. He isn’t a dual-threat quarterback like Lamar Jackson, but the few plays that he did have to run, it was like a Mack truck heading down the field. He only ran for 28 yards, but had 17 scores.
Next: Latest pre-Combine first round NFL Mock Draft
Draft expectations
USC’s Sam Darnold is going to the be the first one snapped up in the draft, followed by Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield. Rudolph will likely be the third or fourth quarterback picked, but his Captain-America-style prototypical traits and intangibles make him the ideal choice for a strong leader and an unflappable pocket passer.
Look, he’s not a showman and he’s not creative, but Rudolph is one of the best downfield, play-action passers. He’s a capable field reader who has great timing. He will be a strong workhorse for the right team.