At Georgia Tech’s pro day, former Georgia Tech All-American guard Shaquille Mason was asked to demonstrate his ability snapping the ball, as many teams were considering converting him into a center.
Overseeing the drill was former New England Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, who retired following the 2013 season after 30 years with the team. Eventually, Scarnecchia had seen enough and told the group that Mason had proven he could snap the ball.
It was evidently part of a package that won over the defending Super Bowl champions, who selected Mason with the 32nd pick of the fourth round Saturday, the 131st overall selection.
Mason becomes the first Tech offensive lineman signed by coach Paul Johnson to be drafted. The last offensive line draftee was offensive tackle Andrew Gardner, who played his senior season for Johnson, in the 2009 player selection. Mason has plenty to recommend himself. A powerful drive blocker with an unrelenting motor, Mason was a foundational element of the Yellow Jackets’ Orange Bowl championship team, which set school records for rushing yards in a season, highest per-game rushing average and highest yards-per carry average. He was named an All-American by five different outlets.
Despite those credentials and an invitation to the Senior Bowl, Mason was not invited to the NFL draft combine, which ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said shocked him. No small part of the concern regarding Mason is his 6-foot-1 height. He was the shortest of 72 offensive line prospects listed on the NFL.com website. In the three prior drafts, only one offensive lineman shorter than him was drafted.
Mason came to Tech as a relatively lightly recruited prospect and turned himself into one of the finest offensive linemen in school history. He’ll have a chance to turn conventional wisdom on its head again.
The skinny: "Powerful player with an ability to drive defenders off their spot with leg drive and then torque and finish with strong hands and upper body. Lack of height and arm length could hurt his draft standing a little bit, but his elite power trait as run blocker and solid pass-protection technique make him a future starter at right guard in the NFL." — NFL.com
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