2014 NFL Draft Profile: Tre Mason, RB Auburn
By Adam Carlson
Jan 6, 2014; Pasadena, CA, USA; Auburn Tigers running back Tre Mason (21) on a touchdown run against the Florida State Seminoles during the second half of the 2014 BCS National Championship game at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Auburn running back Tre Mason stands only 5’9″ tall and weighs in at 207 pounds, but he plays much bigger than those numbers indicate. He possesses an incredibly strong lower body with legs that can push piles when needed.
With his size and agility, it’s hard not to draw comparisons to Baltimore’s Ray Rice. He also has an interesting upbringing. His father is Vincent in the musical group De La Soul.
Although he wasn’t used much in his first year at Auburn, he exploded his final year, finding the end zone a total of 25 times. He broke Bo Jackson’s rushing yardage record at Auburn that year and really made a huge name for himself. Tre Mason has the potential to be a featured running back in high powered offense if he can remove the doubt surrounding his ability to stay healthy at the next level.
Here are his statistics over 3 years at Auburn:
Jan 6, 2014; Pasadena, CA, USA; Auburn Tigers running back Tre Mason (21) celebrates his touchdown with tight end C.J. Uzomah (81) during the second half of the 2014 BCS National Championship game against the Florida State Seminoles at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
516 carries
2979 rushing yards
32 rushing touchdowns
19 catches
249 receiving yards
1 receiving touchdown
42 kick returns
1107 kick return yards
2 kick return touchdowns
Strengths
- Strong lower body
- Quick feet
- Hits the hole quickly
- Elusive
Weaknesses
- Injury concerns
- Lacks ideal size
- Lacks breakaway speed
Fit For The Vikings
Mason could provide an excellent change of pace back for Minnesota.
My Take
While I really like Mason, there are much more pressing needs that the Vikings need to address in the early rounds of the draft. However, odds are that Minnesota would consider him if he ended up sliding into the late second or third round.