Four Questions on Jake Rudock with MGoBlog

Of all the draft picks the Detroit Lions walked away with in the 2016 NFL Draft, none of them caused more of stir than Michigan quarterback Jake Rudock. There are two sides of the fence on this pick: you either love it or you hate it. I'm personally on the latter side. I'm not sure if Jake Rudock has the ability to be at least a strong back up in the NFL.

I'm not going to hide that I'm a Michigan State fan. Some may see this as me being biased when talking about Rudock, but that has very little to do with this. One of the big things for me is that I don't watch a lot of Michigan football. I could stand to learn a thing or two about Jake Rudock that might help change my mind on the quarterback. So I went over to Wolverine country to get some answers. After devouring 15 Blimpy burgers, I talked with MGoBlog's Ace Anbender and got the scoop. Here's what we learned.

POD: What are you over all thoughts on Rudock's time at Michigan?

MGB: "Since Rudock was a grad transfer, I only got to see him up close for one year, and it was a strange one. He started out looking like he'd regressed from his time at Iowa, uncharacteristically missing short throws and turning the ball over (though two of his three picks in the opener, his only multi-pick game, were in large part the fault of a freshman receiver). He couldn't hit the mark on deep passes, either. Partway through the season, something clicked, and Rudock regained his accuracy and was far more successful getting the ball down field. Early in the year, he looked like a below-average Big Ten quarterback. For the latter half of the season, he looked like a pro prospect."

POD: What is Jake's biggest strength?

MGB: "Rudock is really accurate on short and intermediate throws; he doesn't just find the open guy, he puts the receiver in position to maximize yards after the catch. He's also decently athletic, capable of buying time outside the pocket and picking up the occasional first down with his legs, and a smart player—he rarely made boneheaded throws and he looked very comfortable with Harbaugh's offense after the initial adjustment period."

POD: What's his biggest weakness?

MGB: "Rudock doesn't have a huge arm, and he could have some trouble working outside the hashes against NFL defensive backs. It's also tough to figure out how good he'll be in the deep passing game—he missed a handful of wide-open touchdowns during the season but was outstanding going long against Florida in the bowl game."

POD: Much is being made about Rudock's NFL ability. Can Rudock ever be a starting quarterback in this league? Or is he destined to follow in the footsteps of Kellen Moore?

MGB: "I see Rudock as a player who can be a longtime backup in this league and perhaps a capable spot starter, but he's probably not ever going to be a long-term solution as a starter—he'd have to be robotically accurate given his arm strength and that wasn't the case for much of his senior year. He's got more upside than Moore; if he builds on his late-season form he should stick around the NFL for a while."

I'd like to thank Ace for his time today. Be on the lookout for our Four Questions on Graham Glasgow this week. Also, for all the Wolverine's fans out there, do yourself a favor and follow Ace on Twitter and check out MGoBlog for all your Michigan news and insights.