Patriots Rumors: Mason Rudolph increasingly tied to New England
According to recent New England Patriots rumors, the team is being increasingly linked to Oklahoma State quarterback, Mason Rudolph.
New England Patriots rumors are heating up with the 2018 NFL Draft quickly approaching. New England has a few needs on the roster, but a lot of the draft discussion thus far surrounding New England involves the quarterback position.
That is something that may confuse some people. The Patriots are seemingly set at quarterback with Tom Brady. Despite being 40 years old, Brady took home the MVP award for the 2017 season. He showed few signs of slowing down and should be primed for another strong season in 2018.
However, New England has to begin preparations for life after Brady.
The last two developmental quarterbacks the Patriots selected, Jacoby Brissett and Jimmy Garoppolo, are no longer on the roster. Both were traded away last year. Brissett was traded to the Indianapolis Colts prior to the regular season, while Garoppolo was traded to the San Francisco 49ers before the trade deadline.
As a result, finding a young quarterback to groom has moved near the top of the Patriots’ to do list. Luckily for New England, there are plenty of quarterback options in this year’s draft class.
More from Musket Fire
- What trading Mac Jones during the draft can do for the Patriots
- Best and worst draft picks during the Bill Belichick era
- Early round Patriots draft picks you’ll hate now, love later
- Musket Fire Roundup: Our own final predictions for round 1
- Breaking down the Patriots’ options in the 2023 NFL Draft
New England has been linked to a few different ones already. The consensus top-three of Josh Allen, Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen haven’t been linked to New England for obvious reasons. They could be the first three picks of this year’s draft. The next tier of players, however, have been linked to New England.
According to reports, the Patriots are the team showing the most interest in Louisville quarterback, Lamar Jackson. Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield has also reportedly garnered interest from New England. The one quarterback to seemingly keep an eye on, though, is Oklahoma State signal caller, Mason Rudolph.
The Patriots held a private workout with Rudolph earlier in April, also coming away impressed with his No. 1 wide receiver, James Washington. According to NFL Draft Scout, Rudolph is moving up at the expense of Jackson, with New England being a potential landing spot.
According to NFL Draft Scout, Rudolph could surpass Jackson on many big boards. The Patriots are the team that Rudolph has been increasingly linked to, and it is easy to see why.
The production and experience are there for Rudolph. He started the final three seasons he was at Oklahoma State and improved statistically every season. Rudolph also possesses the prototypical size you want from a quarterback, standing 6’5″ and weighing 230 pounds.
There is a lot to like about Rudolph. He has everything it takes to be a starter in the NFL, he just needs some time to develop. With Brady in place, New England can give him the time he needs to grow as a player. The draft capital the team has could also influence their decision.
With two first-round picks and four picks in the first three rounds, New England can afford to take a long-term outlook with a pick. If they hold onto them all, they can add three players to help immediately while improving the outlook for their future.