Oklahoma State QB Mason Rudolph to miss Senior Bowl
Mason Rudolph had a prolific career at Oklahoma State, but the start to his pro career is off to a bit of a lame start.
When the top quarterback prospects for the 2018 NFL Draft are mentioned, Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Baker Mayfield, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson immediately come to mind. Mason Rudolph is off the radar by comparison. But he has NFL size (6-foot-5, 230 pounds), and he finished his career at Oklahoma State with school records for passing yards (13,618) and passing touchdowns (92) while completing over 63 percent of his passes.
CBS Sports.com has Rudolph as their top-ranked quarterback in the 2018 draft class right now. No other site or source thinks of him quite that highly. But any chance Rudolph has to improve his draft stock has taken an early hit.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Rudolph will miss the Senior Bowl with a left foot sprain. He was injured during the second half of the Camping World Bowl against Virginia Tech on Dec. 28, but was able to finish the game. Senior Bowl week will be approaching a month since the injury happened, with the game itself on Jan. 27.
Oklahoma St QB Mason Rudolph will have to sit out the Senior Bowl because of a left foot sprain that does not require surgery and is now stable, sources say doctors told him. One of the top QBs, Rudolph plans to attend the Senior Bowl for measurements & interviews.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 18, 2018
Nebraska quarterback Tanner Lee will take Rudolph’s place.
With #OKState QB Mason Rudolph out for @seniorbowl, #Nebraska’s Tanner Lee takes his spot. Big arm talent, a late draft eligible ruling by the NFL.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 18, 2018
Rudolph will not need surgery, and his injury is apparently stable now. But the nature of it invites aggravation and ongoing issues if it’s not fully healed, and on Wednesday, doctors recommended two more weeks in a walking boot.
Rudolph will be in attendance in Mobile for measurements and interviews, the latter of which can be just as important as anything done in Senior Bowl practice or the game itself.
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Going forward through the pre-draft process, Rudolph should be good to go at full strength for the NFL Scouting Combine, his Pro Day and any team visits/workouts he takes.