Former Oklahoma top recruit Spencer Rattler saw his college career take some major turns. There were ups and downs throughout prior to the five-star recruit opting to transfer to South Carolina ahead of the 2022 season.
The 6-foot-1 pro-style quarterback turned into two solid seasons for the Gamecocks. Despite this, he’s not seen as one of the top NFL Draft prospects at this position.
This did not stop Rattler from foregoing his final season of eligiblity and declaring for the annual event.
“I will be declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft. This has been a dream and goal of mine since I was a little kid and cannot wait for the chance to turn my dream into reality.”
Spencer Rattler on Instagram
Rattler will be under a microscope leading up to the annual event in that his game brings a nice amount of strengths and weaknesses. The youngster has a quick release and a strong arm. That’s been known since his high school days. He also struggles with timing on routes, recognizing pressure and getting beyond his first read.
This has Rattler slated as a mid-round prospect early in the pre-draft process. Which teams might be interested in him as a project-style signal caller? We take a look at four ideal destinations for Rattler moving forward.
Related: 2024 NFL mock draft
Denver Broncos find someone to work behind Russell Wilson
It’s interesting. Broncos head coach Sean Payton had historic success with Drew Brees during his time with the New Orleans Saints. The 6-foot Brees boasts pretty much the same frame as Rattler. While he proved to be among the most-accurate quarterbacks in NFL history during a Hall of Fame-worthy career, there are similarities between the two signal callers.
- Spencer Rattler college stats: 69% completion, 10,807 yards, 77 TD, 32 INT
Denver’s draft stockpile took a major hit by trading for both Payton and Russell Wilson over the past couple years. It is without a second-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. Why not see what Rattler could bring to the table as a late Day 2 selection or early Day 3 pick?
New Orleans Saints take a chance on Spencer Rattler
Speaking of Payton’s former Saints team, it’s looking more and more like signing Derek Carr was a mistake. The team sits at 5-6 on the season and has no long-term vision at the quarterback position. This is not a situation longtime general manager Mickey Loomis wants to be in.
The idea here would be to draft Rattler as competition for 2023 fourth-round pick Jake Haener. Carr is likely linked to New Orleans through next season. It wouldn’t hurt to see what Rattler can do in comparison to Haener during the off-season program, training camp and the preseason slate. A fourth-round pick could get it done.
Related: 2024 NFL Draft order
New York Jets get someone to learn behind Aaron Rodgers
Jets head coach Robert Saleh says that they’re going to evaluate struggling former No. 2 pick Zach Wilson during the offseason after benching him recently. Given that Wilson was handed the clipboard in favor of Tim Boyle, this was simply Saleh’s way of being diplomatic. Wilson has no future in Jersey.
- Zach Wilson career stats: 57% completion, 5,966 yards, 21 TD, 25 INT, 71.9 QB rating
The idea here would be for a project in Rattler to learn behind Aaron Rodgers for a season or two. While Rodgers had issues with his former Green Bay Packers team selecting Jordan Love in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, he took to that mentor role with Wilson in his first offseason with the Jets.
Related: Ranking all 32 NFL quarterbacks
Seattle Seahawks land Spencer Rattler
Geno Smith earned the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award last season. Unfortunately, the veteran journeyman has not been the same quarterback thus far in 2023 (12 TD, 8 INT). Seattle flirted with the idea of adding a potential franchise quarterback early in the 2023 NFL Draft with the capital it received in the Russell Wilson trade. The team ended up avoiding this position.
WIth the 2024 iteration of the draft seen as much deeper, exhausting a mid-round pick on Rattler could very well be a good bet. Seattle has two third-round picks stemming from the aforementioned Wilson trade. Use one of them to see if it can hit lightning in a bottle.