Jeff Gross/Getty Images
Name: Tre Mason
Height: 5ft 9in
Weight: 205lbs.
College: Auburn
College Stats: (3 Seasons) 2,979 Rushing Yards, 32 TD's (23 in his 3rd season alone)
Receiving: 19 Receptions, 249 yards, 1 TD
Kickoff Returns: 42 Returns, 1,107 yards 2 TD's
*2013 SEC Offensive Player of the Year
* 6th in 2013 Heisman Voting
* Set school single season rushing yard record previously held by Bo Jackson. Mason surpassed Jackson's mark of 1,786 with 1,816 yards on the ground in the 2013-14 season
Has a reported 40 time of 4.5
Tre Mason decided to forgo his final year of eligibility at Auburn and enter the 2014 NFL Draft. Mason is one of the top Running Back prospects in this year's draft and his numbers as mentioned above give a good indication as to why that is! Mason's performance in the SEC Championship Game against the Missouri Tigers (304 Rushing Yards, 4 TD's) demonstrated his ability to take over a game single-handily!
Mason has displayed the skill sets to become a reliable starting Running Back for an NFL team. Lets take a look at some of them and analyze Mason's game.
His display of quickness and footwork
I'm really impressed with Mason's footwork. Notice how his quickness and stabilization allows him to cause defenders to miss tackles!
Mason's great vision allows him to find the open holes and race into the open field!
Whether coming out of the backfield, or returning a kickoff, Mason has a great view (vision) of his surroundings to make a big play!
While Mason is looking for a hole to run through, he secures the ball responsibly, tucking it in close with his body. By no means is Mason slow either (reported 4.5 40 time.) but I think he can improve upon his acceleration a bit more so he can create some more space between him and opposing defenders once he gets into the open field.
Mason will surely need to also add on some size. Though he is listed as 205lbs, some reports have him in the low 190's. Either way, Mason will need to pack on some size, roughly 10-20lbs to increase his durability and strength. One thing though that Mason does well is bounce off would be tacklers, and with a more solid upper body frame, it should allow him to break away (bounce) off of opposing defenders.
Like all great Running Backs, Mason is great on 3rd downs! In 2013 for Auburn he averaged 6.65 yards per carry on 3rd down. That was more than both his yards per carry on 1st and 2nd down with 5.95 and 5.14 respectively. This is a very interesting stat that should have teams salivating over Mason, especially teams who have struggled in short yardage situations!
Mason is projected as a 2nd round selection, which I believe he is a sure lock for. Would I be surprised if someone took him late in the 1st round, no, but his lack of size and one dimensional speed may be the reason why he falls into the 2nd round.
Sources: http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/tre-mason-1.html
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/24403757/nfl-draft-tre-masson-no-2-rb-bolting-auburn-for-nfl
http://www.oanow.com/sports/college/auburn/football/bcs/article_457eeec8-7403-11e3-a68c-001a4bcf6878.html
http://mocknfldraft.com/Tre%20Mason.cfm
http://www.cfbstats.com/2013/player/37/1038641/rushing/situational.html
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