NFL Draft: What Jake Rudock Brings to Detroit Lions

The sixth round of the NFL draft has produced some great players over the years. What’s the ceiling for Jake Rudock with the Detroit Lions?

Jake Rudock has completed his turnaround with Michigan football, as the Detroit Lions used their sixth-round pick in the NFL draft to the quarterback who didn’t have a future in the pros for most of his career.

Related Story: Willie Henry drafted by the Ravens

If you think back to Rudock’s time at Iowa, he was never going to be an NFL quarterback. He couldn’t make the throws, he was too sheltered, he wasn’t athletic enough, etc. His transfer to Jim Harbaugh and Michigan sparked something unseen from Rudock, and it’s now come full circle.

When Rudock chose Michigan last offseason, there wasn’t a consensus on if he would even be the Wolverines’ starter. One season later he’s in Michigan’s record book with the second-best season for a quarterback in program history with 3,017 yards, and he’s on his way to the NFL.

Rudock was largely seen as a wildcard coming into the draft’s final day. For those who thought he was going to be drafted, the No. 191 overall pick was probably the earliest reasonable projection.

Tod McShay on ESPN’s draft show noted how Rudock was an afterthought at the beginning of the season, even when Michigan was winning, but he kept improving and eventually showed that he’s got what it takes to play at the next level.

One of the big criticisms of Rudock was that he couldn’t deliver the deep ball. And while it’s true that he didn’t connect very often, he was more accurate than you might think.

The Lions obviously have their quarterback in Matthew Stafford, but Rudock has the potential to be a serviceable backup in Detroit. (Think of how fun it will be to hear fans calling for Rudock once Stafford throws his first interception next season!)

One of the areas Rudock improved most was his decision making. In the first half of the season he was often a one-read passer, and all hell broke loose if it wasn’t there. By the end of the season he was successfully going through his progression and making great decisions with the ball. He officially transferred from being a timid quarterback to being a prolific playmaker.

Rudock has some size he needs to add his frame, but once he does, there won’t be very serious size issues that sometimes plague quarterbacks.

Plus, Rudock is deceptively quick.

I know you Lions fans were looking for a wide receiver at some point, but you can’t be mad about Rudock, right?

Next: Top 10 running backs in Michigan history

Rudock is the the third (and likely last) former Michigan player to be drafted this year. He follows Graham Glasgow, who was also drafted by the Lions in Round 3, and Willie Henry, who was drafted by the Ravens in Round 4.