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Being Drafted by the Bolts Would be a "Dream Come True" for Mason Rudolph

A lot has been said about whether the Chargers may select a quarterback in this year's draft.

General Manager Tom Telesco and Head Coach Anthony Lynn were peppered with questions about it earlier this week, while countless pundits have weighed in on whether the time is right to pull the trigger.

Those questions are only natural with Philip Rivers turning 37 this upcoming season. 

However, number 17 is showing no sign of slowing down after one of the best seasons of his career.  After all, he just guided the league's number one passing offense in 2017.

Thus, it's clear that any quarterback drafted this year would sit and learn behind Rivers for the foreseeable future.

That's a scenario Oklahoma State's Mason Rudolph would embrace, relishing the opportunity to learn from one of the top quarterbacks to ever play the game.

It also doesn't hurt that he already has experience working with Rivers.

"I actually got the chance to meet Philip a couple weeks ago out in Southern California working out (and) throwing," he said.  "Great guy, great person, great player (and) someone I've looked up to for many years."

With that in mind, Rudolph offered strong words when asked what it would be like to be selected by the Bolts.

"That would be a dream come true," he said.  "That opportunity, that situation, would be one where I would learn from a veteran guy, a great player, and pick up as much as I can.  And like I said, prepare like I'm the starter and know that I'm one play away. Yeah, that would be cool."

The Oklahoma State product is considered by many as the top quarterback outside the "big five" of  Josh Allen, Sam Darnold, Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield and Josh Rosen.

However, a significant number of pundits put Rudolph right up there with those same names based on his college production and a skillset that should transfer well to the NFL.

The 6-5, 230-pounder is fresh of a lights out 2017 campaign in which he led all of college football with 4,904 passing yards. He also completed 318-of-489 attempts (65.0-percent) for 37 touchdowns and just nine interceptions while adding another 10 touchdowns on the ground.

Overall, Rudolph set over 50 school records for the Cowboys, completing 915-of-1,447 passes for 13,618 yards and 92 touchdowns.

In addition to his high production in college, pundits believe he boasts ideal attributes to succeed at the next level since he's the type of prototypical pocket passer that often thrives in the NFL.

Nonetheless, in a deep quarterback class with top talent toward the top, why does Rudolph believe his skillset rivals anyone else's?

"I'd say my ability to throw the ball down the field (stands out)," he said. "I think I've done it accurately at a high level for three years. My production, my leadership, my experience, my starts, 32 wins as a starter, and just the kind of teammate I am. I'm a fun guy to be around, enjoy being part of the team, putting the team first and competing my butt off."

Finally, it might interest Chargers fans to learn he met with the Chargers last month at the Senior Bowl.

"I couldn't participate in the Senior Bowl because I wasn't able to play," he said after saying he met with the Bolts. "But I still went down and kind of put my best foot forward with the interview process. So I think that kind of prepared me a little bit for this little more intense, 15-minute formal meetings in the evenings. It's been good. I feel comfortable explaining myself, articulating myself to evaluators, to coaches. That's what I've done thus far and that's what I'll continue to do."

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