Six quarterbacks clearly separated themselves ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft, and that separation was evident in the first round when all six came off the board within the first 12 picks.
The next tier of quarterbacks is made up of developmental prospects, none of which will likely be taken with expectations of becoming a franchise quarterback. While turning into that kind of player is always possible, this year’s Day 2 and Day 3 quarterbacks will begin their careers as depth pieces.
Tulane’s Michael Pratt is among the most intriguing quarterbacks on the board following the early run on the position. Pratt oversaw two of the best seasons in Green Wave history, including a Cotton Bowl win over Caleb Williams and USC at the end of the 2022 season.
Pratt won’t enter the NFL with anything resembling Williams’ expectations, but he could become a long-term contributor in one form or another.
Here’s a closer look at Pratt’s scouting report and why he’s been compared to Carson Wentz.
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Michael Pratt NFL scouting report
Pratt figures to carve out a decent NFL career, even if only as a backup. While his shaky arm strength might limit his ceiling, he consistently proved to be a sound decision-maker at Tulane with only five interceptions in each of his past two seasons. Pratt also showed improved accuracy as the years went on at Tulane, and he comes to the NFL with four seasons of starting experience.
Raw arm talent is important in the NFL Draft, and teams likely want to see more than just a quarterback who can make the short and intermediate throws. There are questions about how much Pratt can do downfield, and it’s worth noting he was often able to rely on an excellent running game with the Green Wave.
Athleticism is an asset for Pratt. He’s not going to be a quarterback who runs all over defenses, but he picked his spots and scored 28 rushing touchdowns over four years at Tulane. In an era that requires NFL quarterbacks to be able to move around somewhat, that shouldn’t be a problem for Pratt.
Level of competition is also something NFL front offices might wonder about with Pratt. There is a growing divide between Power Five (now Power Four) and Group of Five conferences, and tougher defenses won’t leave as many simple throws available for Pratt. While Tulane did take out USC in the Cotton Bowl, the Trojans’ defense was often abysmal during Lincoln Riley’s first season with the program.
Michael Pratt stats
| Season | Games | CMP% | Yards | TD | INT |
| 2020 | 10 | 55.1 | 1,806 | 20 | 8 |
| 2021 | 12 | 57.8 | 2,390 | 21 | 8 |
| 2022 | 13 | 63.6 | 3,009 | 27 | 5 |
| 2023 | 11 | 65.4 | 2,406 | 22 | 5 |
| Career | 46 | 60.6 | 9,611 | 90 | 26 |
NFL DRAFT RANKINGS: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | EDGE
Michael Pratt NFL comparisons
Carson Wentz
Like Wentz, Pratt has a prototypical NFL frame and can make the throws teams need him to make. Wentz’s arm strength likely runs a bit stronger than Pratt’s, but Pratt isn’t as prone to disaster as Wentz. Both Pratt and Wentz have the requisite athleticism to force defenses to respect their mobility.
Where Pratt differs from Wentz a bit is decision-making. Wentz’s decision-making began to suffer after the first few years of his NFL career, perhaps somewhat due to shaken confidence.
Pratt largely avoided those poor decisions at Tulane, but part of the equation was the fact he wasn’t one to take many downfield shots. NFL quarterbacks typically have to take some risks to play at a high level, and front offices might not know what they’re getting out of Pratt when he does have to make those throws.
Andy Dalton
Pratt does not have red hair, despite these two comparisons. Like Dalton, though, Pratt is a quarterback without exceptional weaknesses but also without anything eye-popping in his game. He can make the short and intermediate throws a team wants him to make, but outside of that, arm strength and accuracy could use some work.
Pratt’s decision-making should be better than Dalton’s was early in the former Bengals quarterback’s career. Beyond that, Pratt and Dalton share decent arm strength that doesn’t reach the level of some of the NFL’s best, and they are both solid on-field leaders who can do enough to win games if the circumstances are just right.
