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2018 NFL Draft: Pittsburgh Steelers find a steal in Mason Rudolph

By Maxwell Ogden

STILLWATER, OK - NOVEMBER 04: Quarterback Mason Rudolph #2 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys looks to throw against the Oklahoma Sooners at Boone Pickens Stadium on November 4, 2017 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated Oklahoma State 62-52. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
STILLWATER, OK - NOVEMBER 04: Quarterback Mason Rudolph #2 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys looks to throw against the Oklahoma Sooners at Boone Pickens Stadium on November 4, 2017 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated Oklahoma State 62-52. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /
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The Pittsburgh Steelers need a long-term replacement for Ben Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh may have found said player in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the 2018 NFL Draft with a need to prepare for what may soon be a change of the guard. Ben Roethlisberger is 36 years old and has a long history of injuries that could soon slam his window shut.

Coupled with the fact that Roethlisberger has discussed retirement in the past, the Steelers had a pressing need to find an heir apparent.

Some expected Pittsburgh to act on that need in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Others believed it could afford to wait until Round 2, but there was a name that consistently surfaced in Steelers circles: Mason Rudolph.

As fate would have it, Rudolph was still available in Round 3, and the Steelers ensured that he wouldn’t pass by again.

As if that twist of fate weren’t enough, Rudolph will be reunited with college teammate and fellow Oklahoma State Cowboys star James Washington.

Drafting one of the most productive quarterback and wide receiver duos in NCAA history is certainly a way to build towards a bright future.

Rudolph was projected as a fringe first-round draft pick whose status as an Air Raid quarterback would limit his appeal. Few expected him to fall to the third round, but it’s a development that certainly works in Pittsburgh’s favor.

Washington has the tools to be one of the more explosive wide receivers to emerge from this draft class, and Rudolph should at least help him develop on the practice field.

As for Rudolph himself, he’ll have a chance to learn from Roethlisberger and ease his way into an offense that features some of the most explosive playmakers in the NFL.

Le’Veon Bell is regarded by many as the best running back in football, and Antonio Brown is the near consensus No. 1 wide receiver in the NFL. In addition to adding Washington to the receiving corps, Pittsburgh also has a rising star in JuJu Smith-Schuster.

In other words: Whether Rudolph is asked to step in during the 2018 season or receives time on the sidelines, he’ll be surrounded by almost unparalleled talent.

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The question is: How long will it take for Mason Rudolph to receive his first start with the Pittsburgh Steelers?

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