Mason Fine Overview
Position: Quarterback
Height: 5’-11”
Weight: 187 pounds
School: North Texas
Mason Fine 2020 NFL Draft Profile
After four seasons with North Texas, quarterback Mason Fine is looking to take his career to the professional level. Fine had a disappointing 2019, taking a notable step back from his junior season in just about every category. Overall, Fine completed 255 of his 413 attempts (61.7%) for 2,087 yards, 29 touchdowns, nine interceptions, and a 99.0 passer rating.
Fine initially entered the collegiate ranks as a two-star recruit. Despite setting the high school record books on fire, teams appeared uninterested in Fine due to his underwhelming 5’-11”, 170-pound frame. After analyzing his offers, the Locus Grove product chose to sign with North Texas. Fine started Week 1 on the bench but quickly earned the starting job as a true freshman. The results weren’t great, as he struggled to adjust to the advanced competition and had an objectively bad season.
Fortunately for Fine, he managed to make a massive jump as a true sophomore. In 2017, the quarterback completed 63.1% of his passes for 4,036 yards, 31 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, and a 95.5 passer rating. He managed to do even better in 2018, completing 64.3% of his passes for 3,783 yards, 27 touchdowns, five interceptions, and a 104.1 passer rating in what was unquestionably the best season of his career.
Strengths
- Legitimate NFL-caliber arm;
- Looked like a mid-round prospect in 2018;
- Four-year starter with impressive volume stats;
- Has bursts of above-average accuracy and touch;
- Isn’t afraid to take off and run;
- Better than you’d expect under pressure;
- Impressive ability to avoid sacks and get the ball out of his hands.
Weaknesses
- Zero consistency to his game;
- Questionable motion with long, pronounced delivery;
- Experienced major regression in 2019;
- Size could be an issue for some NFL teams;
- Not a great deep passer;
- Makes too many questionable decisions with the football.
NFL Comparison: Mike Kafka
Teams With Need at Position: Cincinnati Bengals, Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans
Projection: 7th Round/ Priority UDFA
Bottom Line on Mason Fine
Mason Fine has a lot to overcome if he’s ever going to make an impact at the NFL level. At 5’-11” and 187 pounds, he’s going to need to add some weight if he’s going to survive NFL hits. Some teams might be turned off by his height, but the recent success of guys like Russell Wilson, Baker Mayfield, and Kyler Murray proved that modern quarterbacks can overcome being short. However, Fine is not nearly as good of a prospect as the three aforementioned quarterbacks. Fine’s motion needs to be tightened up, and he needs to be more consistent on a throw-for-throw basis. He puts the ball in harms’ way on a regular basis and doesn’t have the accuracy to make plays in the deep part of the field.
Fine probably won’t develop into anything at the NFL level, but he has some interesting traits that justify a late-round selection. The North Texas product has the arm strength required to succeed in the NFL, and he played at a relatively high level in 2018. He holds up surprisingly well under pressure and gives you one or two throws per game that make you believe that he has the potential to stick around in the league. If he spends a season or two on the practice squad, he could develop into a serviceable backup.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
