We’ve talked ad nauseum about the top four QBs in the 2024 NFL Draft. As the draft progresses into his third day, it’s time to look at other players at the position outside of the big names.
Oregon’s Bo Nix (drafted by the Broncos) and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. (picked with a surprising No. 8 by the Falcons) are next in line behind Caleb Williams, Jaeden Daniels, Drake Maye and JJ McCarthy. This layer is being considered. Don’t let the group end there. There’s another player who can crash the party. That’s South Carolina’s (and now New Orleans Saints’) Spencer Rattler.
Rattler had a whirlwind college career, starting as Oklahoma’s next great QB before being snapped up by Williams and transferring to South Carolina. Despite not having the best play-calling or protection around him, Rattler still showed improvement in his two seasons in Columbia, and it’s surprising that he slipped all the way to the Saints in the fifth round.
This is what makes him interesting at the next level.
Spencer Rattler has professional playmaking ability
The first thing that stands out about the Rattler is its whip-quick release. He packs plenty of arm strength into his compact 6’0 frame and can test opponents downfield. Because of South Carolina’s lackluster offensive line, the Gamecocks used Rattler on a lot of rollouts, sprintouts, and escapes from the pocket, but his release really made Rattler’s presence known in these rollout concepts. Closed.
I really like this player from the Rattlers who gained 29 yards in the Missouri game. You see him coming out of the pocket, but he still advances to the line of scrimmage and puts this ball on the dot of the receiver running an over route. He can do this at the NFL level and his talent is obvious.
Rattler can take some hits downfield when he has his feet in the pocket and has shown NFL-level arm talent and speed. The games against Georgia on the 3rd and 15th were a good example of that, especially when they played under pressure. The University of South Carolina is running a dagger concept that allows Rattler to move into the throwing window at the top of the drop. However, this window quickly closes due to the defender, but Rattler is undeterred and fires it through the middle to the receiver, moving the chain on third and long.
You can talk!
Now let’s talk about some of these pressure reactions. Because pressure responses were diverse in South Carolina.
Spencer Rattler is still too much to show up on tape.
In his two years with the Gamecocks, Rattler was pressured on 36.5 percent of his dropbacks. In fact, his on-target rate when under pressure jumped from 60.9 percent in 2022 to 74.2 percent in 2023, but his sack rate under pressure in 2023 was an abysmal 23.2 percent. was. That means when he was pressured in 2023, he would have been fired about 23 percent of the time. Rattler’s response to pressure varied throughout his career, with mixed results.
I think one of the reasons his sack rate was so much higher in 2023 than it was in 2022 is because he has become more willing to stand up and feed passes into players’ faces. This rep is his 2023 player, and Rattler gets a crack, but instead fires this pass and gets a first down.
Now let’s compare it to 2022. Texas A&M. This pass completes, but I don’t really like this process. At the top of his drop this route opens up and you can throw this pass there if you want. Still, he turned it down, deployed his pocket, and completed the pass. It’s even more unsustainable at the NFL level, as we’ve seen with recent draft prospects (cough Zach Wilson). Being able to win from the pocket under pressure is what separates good players from great players, and Rattler is still trying to find his groove with that.
I think my biggest complaint with Rattler’s game is his inconsistent ball placement, especially in short yardage areas, and how much meat he leaves on his bones. Too often, he leaves his receivers behind and passes them too far in front of them, leaving them dry. This is the fourth and second since the game against Tennessee in 2023, and Rattler’s receivers have an impact on the outside. However, Rattler puts the ball too far inside, resulting in a turnover on downs instead of a first down.
It’s a similar concept here, where Rattler completes the pass, but instead of a touchdown, the receiver has to look inside, stopping the result short.
No matter where Rattler goes in the draft, he has to be told to make his job easier for himself. He doesn’t have to stand in the pocket every time he applies pressure, he doesn’t have to try to be a superhero on every play. If he can iron out these ball placement and pressure inconsistencies, the franchise could have a young QB to look forward to.
