2016 NFL Draft Profile: Michigan Football Quarterback Jake Rudock

The Basics

It was a tale of two seasons for Jake Rudock in 2015. Coming over to Michigan as a graduate transfer from Iowa, he was touted as a game manager and stop-gap player for Jim Harbaugh's Wolverines. His early season play was pedestrian, but finished the year as one of the best signal-callers in the Big Ten and was another example of his head coach's Midas touch with players at the position.

Positives

Rudock is a pro-style passer with good poise and leadership skills. He never appears rattled even when things break down, where he shows the ability to pull the ball down and make a play with his legs when necessary. Does not have a huge arm and will not take many shots down the field, but he improved in this area as the season went along. Things seemed to click down the stretch, as he finished with 12 touchdown passes in the final four games of the season.

Negatives

By NFL standards, Rudock does not have the arm strength to make all of the throws at the next level. He is not a good enough passer to recover with his arm if he does not make a quick decision. There is not anything that is a glaring red-flag, but there are not any traits that necessarily stand out, either. Doesn't take many chances with the ball, but misses wide open short throws on occasion.

Overview

One of the Wolverine-centric draft storylines heading into this coming weekend has been if Rudock was draftable or not. While certainly not a probable NFL starter or someone who will even see the field much, his second half surge and year of coaching under Harbaugh should be enough for a franchise to at the very least take a flier on him as a free agent, though it looks like he could find a home somewhere in the later rounds of the draft. He has the makings of a serviceable NFL backup

Projection: 6th-to-7th Round