Projecting Where Mason Rudolph Will Land After Day 1 of 2018 NFL Draft

A number of teams addressed the quarterback position in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft, as Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen and Lamar Jackson all heard their names called Thursday.

That doesn't mean front offices looking for value selections in the later rounds are out of options.

Signal-callers such as Oklahoma State's Mason Rudolph present teams with prospects whom they can draft and develop for later down the line while they still rely on their current starters in the immediate future.  

From a statistical standpoint, Rudolph was one of the most dominant college quarterbacks in this year's class. He threw for 4,904 yards, 37 touchdowns and just nine interceptions in 2017 after tallying 4,091 passing yards, 28 touchdown throws and just four interceptions in 2016.

His ability to avoid turnovers despite throwing so many times in Oklahoma State's pass-heavy attack surely stands out to NFL coaching staffs looking for young quarterbacks who won't cost their offense chances to win games with ill-advised plays.

Rudolph's NFL.com draft profile lists him at 6'5", meaning he can stand tall in the pocket and deliver crisp throws downfield even when defensive linemen are closing in on him looking to knock down his passes. He is also mobile inside the pocket and frequently avoids drive-crushing sacks while still allowing his receivers time to get open.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com called the Oklahoma State product "a capable field reader who has the ability to operate with timing" in his scouting report, and he figures to build on that skill if given time to develop and learn an offense as a backup at the NFL level.

With that in mind, the thought here is Rudolph will go to a team that still has a reliable but older starter under center.

That will give Rudolph time to familiarize himself with the pro game without facing the pressure of immediately turning around a franchise. The New England Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers and New Orleans Saints all fit the bill as potential landing spots.

New England still has 40-year-old Tom Brady, Los Angeles has 36-year-old Philip Rivers and New Orleans has 39-year-old Drew Brees. None of them would be in danger of losing their starting spot to Rudolph and could all help groom him as a potential successor when they retire or move on.

Projected landing spots: New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints or Los Angeles Chargers