4 traits Mason Rudolph is lacking to be a franchise QB for Steelers
By Tommy Jaggi
Velocity
You better believe that there is a difference between tossing the ball to a receiver 40 yards down the sideline or putting that same pass on a rope in a tight window. Mason Rudolph can do the former, as he has shown time and again since his days at Oklahoma State, but when it comes to velocity, he is only average in this department.
Where this lack of velocity shows up must on film is on deeps out routes. Where some upper-echelon quarterbacks can make these passes with ease, Rudolph struggles to get the ball out there fast enough to be an effective passer on these types of routes.
Rudolph could get by with average velocity on his ball if he made up with it for his legs, elusiveness in the pocket, or pinpoint accuracy, but he doesn’t possess any of these qualities. With defenses that are more athletic than ever, Rudolph must be able to zip the ball into tight windows in order to be a complete passer, but this could be something he struggles with throughout his career. The velocity is modest, but when combined with his other traits, it doesn’t have the makings of a franchise passer.