STEELWATER
Steelers pick OSU’s Washington, Rudolph on second day of NFL Draft
STILLWATER — The Pittsburgh Steelers sent six representatives to Oklahoma State’s Pro Day last month. And now they’re taking a pair of well-connected Cowboys to the Steel City.
The Steelers selected OSU receiver and Biletnikoff Award winner James Washington with the 60th overall pick nearing the end of the second round of the NFL Draft on Friday. With the 76th pick, the Steelers took Washington’s quarterback, Mason Rudolph, keeping the record-setting duo together.
The 5-foot-11, 213pound Washington finished the year with 1,549 yards and 13 touchdowns on 74 catches, for averages of 20.9 yards per catch and 119.2 per game. He finished his OSU career with 4,462 receiving yards, most in Cowboy history.
Washington will have the opportunity to step into the lineup immediately. Rudolph, on the other hand, will step into the role of understudy to Steeler legend Ben Roethlisberger.
Rudolph left Oklahoma State holding more than 50 school records, including career passing yards (13,618), touchdowns (92) and wins (32).
The 6-4, 227-pound Rudolph threw for 4,904 yards with 37 touchdowns and nine interceptions in his senior season. He led the Cowboys to three straight 10-win seasons, the first time they accomplished the feat.
For his career, Rudolph completed 915 of 1,447 passes for a completion percentage of 63.2. In each of his three full seasons as a starter, he had at least 21 touchdown passes and fewer than 10 interceptions.
Roethlisberger, 36, has said he will return for the 2018 season, but his future beyond that point remains in the air. This fall, he will have the opportunity to take advantage of Washington’s deep-ball skills.
On Thursday, the Steelers traded away one of their top receivers, Martavis Bryant, leaving room for Washington to fill an immediate void.
Bryant was third among Steelers with 605 receiving yards on 50 catches last season. The Steelers have one of the NFL’s top receivers in Antonio Bryant, who had 101 catches for 1,533 yards in 2017. Rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster caught 58 passes for 917 yards.
Washington’s NFL stock seemed to peak during an impressive performance in preparation for the Senior Bowl in January, with many draft analysts penciling him into the first round and near the top of the list of receivers in the class.
But Washington gradually slid down draft lists, primarily because of his measurables, standing 5-11 and running a 4.54-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert were both among the contingent the team sent to Stillwater for OSU’s Pro Day, where Washington improved on some of his combine numbers.
The Steelers had been mentioned as a team that had interest in Rudolph for months, with some projections suggesting they could select the quarterback as early as the first round.
After five quarterbacks were selected in the first round, none were taken in the second, with Rudolph sitting as the top available QB until the Steelers popped up with the 12th pick in the third round.
Oklahoma State has had 23 players drafted during coach Mike Gundy’s tenure, and the Cowboys could have more players selected during Saturday’s fourth-seventh rounds. Receivers Marcell Ateman and Chris Lacy, and safety Tre Flowers are among the OSU players who could be targeted on Saturday.