Georgia Tech offensive lineman Shaquille Mason is set to join the New England Patriots after being taken with the No. 131 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Mason started 40 games during his time with the Yellow Jackets.
NFL Draft results 2015: Shaquille Mason taken by Patriots
The New England Patriots took Shaquille Mason in the fourth round of the NFL Draft.
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Mason doesn’t look like the typical NFL offensive lineman at first glance. He’s very short for the position (under 6’2”) and is relatively slim for someone who plays in the trenches. However, what he lacks in stature he makes up for in athleticism.
Among interior offensive linemen, perhaps no prospect in this year’s draft possesses better movement skills than Mason. While most will focus on his sub-5 second 40-yard dash, what makes Mason potentially special is his quickness out of his stance. Rarely did defenders get to Mason’s shoulder during his college career, and when they did he quickly repositioned himself to complete the block and prevent pressure on his quarterback. He has enough strength to play guard at the next level and the football intelligence to move over the football if needed.
Unsurprisingly, the main drawback for Mason is his size. Some teams refuse to bring in offensive linemen shorter than 6’3” due to concerns about their ability to hold up against NFL-caliber defensive linemen. Mason has also taken a lot of punishment due to the triple-option offense run by Georgia Tech.
At his pro day, Mason ran the 40-yard dash in 4.99 seconds. If that wasn’t impressive enough for a man of 310 pounds, consider his 31” vertical and 110” broad jump. He also produced 25 reps on the 225-pound bench press.
Mason finished his college career with 40 starts, 28 of which came at right guard. The other 12 came at left guard. Though he may play center in the NFL, he never registered a start there.
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