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A surprising name tops the NFL Draft boards according to one former Jets scout. In his opinion, South Carolina signal caller Spencer Rattler is QB1 in the 2024 draft class.
That’s a shock to many with most expecting former Oklahoma teammate Caleb Williams to go No. 1 overall to the Chicago Bears. Players like Drake Maye, Michael Penix, and Heisman trophy winner Jayden Daniels are highly regarded, too.
But this scout believes Rattler has the ability to be the best of the bunch, and here’s why:
“I have loved Spencer Rattler since the first time I saw him back at Oklahoma,” Daniel Kelly wrote on his First Round Mock website.
“All the QBs in the 2024 NFL Draft class have ball placement issues. From there, it’s from the neck up. I’m going with the guy who got a raw deal at Oklahoma and still found a way to reinvent himself at South Carolina.
“Rattler is one of the toughest evaluations I’ve ever done… I had to weigh his shortcomings against being surrounded by personnel deficits. He had one legit (banged up) receiver in Xavier Legette.
“Rattler was sacked 40 times (5th-most in NCAA). South Carolina also had the hardest FBS schedule in the country featuring five ranked opponents with four on the road.
“And he still produced a higher completion percentage (68.9%) in 2023 than Caleb Williams, Michael Penix, Cam Ward, Joe Milton, and Drake Maye.”
Can Spencer Rattler be the best QB in the draft class?
Talent has never been the issue for Rattler, who was ranked as the top passer in his high school class before committing to OU. With the Sooners, he threw for 4,595 yards and 40 touchdowns while winning 14 straight games between his freshman and sophomore seasons.
Unfortunately, he’s been marred by the narrative of having poor attitude.
That started in high school thanks to his involvement with the popular ‘QB1’ Netflix show and continued throughout his career in Norman.
A poor start to the Red River Rivalry in 2021 led to the introduction of the Caleb Williams era, resulting in a transfer to the SEC.
Rattler did his best to change that opinion in Columbia, praised by Shane Beamer as being an incredible teammate.
At South Carolina, he led the Gamecocks to an 8-4 record in Year 1, taking down top 10 foes in Tennessee and Clemson in his final two regular season starts.
His senior campaign didn’t go quite as planned as South Carolina missed a bowl game, but Rattler posted his best statistical season while playing behind a porous offensive line.
Daniel Kelly believes the passer proved himself in 2023 while being dealt a poor hand given the supporting cast.
DK’s scouting report: Tough-as-nails competitive athletic prospect with above-average accuracy. Fastest mental processing in this class.
He closed by saying, “Surround Rattler with a decent offensive line and running game in the NFL, and we will see what he’s capable of.”
Will someone take a chance on him in the first round?