At times lost in the mix in a deep senior QB class, can Tulane QB Michael Pratt surprise onlookers and rise in the 2024 NFL Draft with his scouting report? Pratt’s production invites excitement, and his tape is similarly impressive for evaluators.
Michael Pratt Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’3″
- Weight: 220 pounds
- Position: Quarterback
- School: Tulane
- Current Year: Senior
Almost as long as he was with the Tulane Green Wave, Pratt was the starting QB. As a true freshman in 2020, Pratt threw for 1,806 yards, 20 touchdowns, and just eight interceptions. And he grew incrementally each year.
Each season, Pratt’s output and accuracy improved. Across his first three full seasons as a starter, he completed 545 of 921 attempts (59.1%) for 7,205 yards, 68 scores, and just 21 picks.
🎯 2023 AAC QB Rankings 🎯
No. 2 Michael Pratt, @GreenWaveFB
“There’s a lot to like about Pratt the college football quarterback, and he’ll certainly be on every preseason watch list this fall.” 🌊
Full Rankings: https://t.co/K5mwkSPC14pic.twitter.com/AvoZQOahrA
— College Football Network (@CFN365) February 6, 2023
And in 2023, despite missing several games due to an injury, Pratt finished on a high note with 2,406 yards, 22 touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Pratt has been regarded as a potential NFL Draft sleeper for years on end, and now, the time has come to evaluate his profile on the 2024 NFL Draft circuit. What does Pratt bring to the table, and how high could he rise?
Michael Pratt Scouting Report
Strengths
- Sports a strong and sturdy frame as a durable, prototypical pocket passer.
- Has enough arm strength to stay on schedule on short and intermediate sideline throws.
- Has a degree of arm elasticity and angle freedom, which he can use to widen windows.
- Possesses the necessary arm elasticity to sustain velocity generation off-platform.
- Keeps his eyes up and active when extending, and keeps his shoulders level off-platform.
- Can use controlled shoulder tilt and angle freedom to layer passes into tight buckets.
- Smooth rotational thrower with exceptional overall mechanics and fluidity.
- Expertly manipulates throw trajectory to ensure precision and allow WRs a chance.
- Knows how to use eye manipulation to draw DBs out of zones and open throwing lanes.
- Has good field vision and can quickly recognize deep opportunities at the top of his drop.
- Able to anticipate receivers breaking open through seams and zones and trigger early.
- Disciplined QB on his dropback with quick feet and a natural feel for base recalibration.
- Has shown he can stay disciplined with his base width to fully channel hip rotation.
- A steady decision-maker who takes what’s given, maximizing the risk-reward balance.
- Decent athlete and creative threat with steely competitive toughness and resolve.
Weaknesses
- Visibly lacks elite arm strength, needing considerable strain to drive velocity downfield.
- Release can be winding at times, slightly delaying his launch and pass arrival.
- Can be a bit stiff when attempting to torque his hips rolling against his throwing hand.
- Non-elite flexibility limits his viability as an off-platform thrower in adverse situations.
- Winding release occasionally invites volatility with ball placement and trajectory.
- Sometimes locks out his front foot on deep throws, causing high misses.
- Passes sometimes stall and sink low as they track outside the numbers.
- Sometimes rushes throws in the red zone before his base is set, exiting sync.
- Doesn’t have elite field vision and sometimes misses windows, inducing hesitation.
- Is sometimes caught flat-footed against interior blitzers and could better navigate.
- Lacks great change-of-direction and burst as an athlete and relies on toughness.
- Doesn’t have the athleticism to remain a plus rushing threat against NFL-caliber talent.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
On my 2024 NFL Draft board, Pratt carries an early Day 3 grade. A strong offseason could cause him to sneak into the top 100, but Pratt should be one of the first signal-callers selected on Day 3 if he reaches that range, given his appeal as a quality backup QB at the next level.
Pratt doesn’t have elite physical tools, and that’s something that may limit his ceiling in the 2024 NFL Draft. He has above-average arm talent and decent creative value, but his athleticism isn’t translatable as an NFL rushing threat.
MORE: Top QBs in the 2024 NFL Draft
Pratt’s elite competitive toughness will always be a plus, and he does have enough arm elasticity to work off-platform in spurts — but he won’t elevate offenses off of his physical talent alone.
What Pratt does have in his corner, however, is a very solid operational framework constructed by years of starting experience. Pratt is mechanically sound, disciplined, and controlled as a passer, and he shows off exceptional accuracy and situational ball placement as a result.
Moreover, he’s a steady decision-maker and a fairly adept processor who’s shown he has the capacity to read the field, anticipate windows, identify mismatches, and manipulate defenders with his eyes.
The biggest knock on Pratt is that his raw talent is closer to average than elite — but he’s not a talent liability, and there aren’t many glaring concerns outside of that.
Operationally, Pratt is well-rounded, with a competitive toughness that underlies his game. Suffice it to say, he should be coveted as a high-quality backup in the middle rounds, who could eventually go on to produce as a spot-starter in the right system.
Draft with your friends today! PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator now supports multiple drafters during the same draft! Ensure your player rankings are up to date on the 2024 NFL Draft Big Board and you know what every NFL team needs before drafting.
