A prospect that has been hot in the notifications of Steelers fans is that of Oklahoma State QB Mason Rudolph. Regardless of his impressive play where he threw nearly 5000 yards and 37 touchdowns to only 9 interceptions in his senior season, he also bears striking resemblance to the current veteran gun-slinger for the team, Ben Roethlisberger.
Roethlisberger came into the league at 6'4, 241 pounds, and Rudolph is entering the league at 6'5, 230 pounds. While Rudolph's 40 time was extensively slower than Roethlisberger's, as Rudolph ran a 4.9 second time while Roethlisberger ran a 4.75, a scrambler is not at all what Roethlisberger was. "Big Ben" was a fantastic play extender and had amazing pocket mobility to which get made room for throws when his line could not, and any highlight reel reveals that Rudolph shows glimpses of the same gift.
Along with the build, the Steelers' clear interest in Rudolph has rubbed off on him. In an interview on NFL Network, Rudolph said that if he had a choice for a coach to play for, Mike Tomlin is one that really stood out.
"I did it accurately, I did it efficiently, for four years. And I think I do that the best out of those guys in this class."@Rudolph2Mason makes his #NFLDraft pitch.
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) March 30, 2018
📺: @NFLTotalAccess https://t.co/6RvpwuQKDN
The draft stock for Rudolph is relatively unpredictable, ranging anywhere from the first to the third round. However, if Rudolph does fall to the Steelers in the second, maybe even the first round, he would be a great addition and investment for the future. He may very well become the next big leader for a team nearing the rebuilding years.
