Mason Foster at the NFL Combine

Mason Foster is one of three Huskies that will be representing the Purple and Gold at the NFL Combine next week.

Foster is a proto-typical 3-4 linebacker that has good size and speed. He is projected by most mock drafts to be selected in the second round. He will make an immediate impact on special teams and could potentially on certain teams or in certain systems could be plugged in and be ready to make an impact right away.

As a Dawg:
Foster led the team in tackles at 104 solo tackles with 57 assisted. He had a blocked kick, two forced fumbles, and 6.5 sacks on the year.

He was also a leader on the defense, he brought a physical toughness to the defense that wasn’t there when he first arrived. His instincts are really astute and the whole defense was able to feed off of his play-making ability. He also was able to endure through the lean years when the program was at one of its lowest points.

Projected in the NFL:
He could go from being an All-Pro to being just a roster guy. The potential is there and so is the work ethic. If he continues to learn and excel like he did at UW, he could easily be an elite outside line-backer in the NFL.

Strengths:
By way of the NFL.com in their combine section:

"Foster has terrific size with enough speed. Has outstanding instincts. Diagnoses quickly and flies to the football but also plays disciplined. Moves well for a big ‘backer and has good range. Does a good job sifting through the trash. Sound tackler. Displays good awareness in zone coverage and can matchup in man. Good motor. Special teams experience."

Weaknesses:
Also from the NFL.com:

"Needs to become more consistent taking on blockers. Can be swallowed up in the box. Adept at slipping blocks but goes this route too often and runs past plays. Has enough range but not a sideline-to-sideline guy. Will over pursue out of control at times. Not much of a pass rushing threat."