Michael Pratt NFL Draft Preview
Coming out of Deerfield Beach High School in Florida, Michael Pratt was a 3-star recruit. While starting his high school career at Boca Raton High School, Pratt eventually transferred to Deerfield before his final year. He did enough to garner an offer from Tulane, and was a starter for nearly his entire career. As a true freshman, Pratt threw for 1,806 yards, 20 touchdowns, and just eight interceptions, and each season his output and accuracy improved. In his first three seasons, he completed 59.1% of his passes for 7,205 yards, 68 scores, and only 21 interceptions. In 2023, Pratt missed several games due to injury but still managed 2,406 yards, 22 touchdowns, and five interceptions. This type of production, combined with his fairly low profile, has led many to view him as a potential NFL Draft sleeper this year, while others view him as not much more than a career backup at the next level. But as we know, the NFL game is full of top prospects who ended up being busts and often overlooked players who broke out at some point on their way to a solid career. Whether Pratt has enough in his arsenal to develop into the latter remains to be seen, but what exactly does Pratt bring to the table, and might it translate to the NFL? Let’s dig in and take a look.
Measurables
- Height: 6’3”
- Weight: 217 lbs.
- Arm: 30 3/4”
- Hand: 9 1/4”
- Wingspan: 77”
- 3-Cone Drill: 7.20 seconds
- 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.23 seconds
- Vertical: 36”
- Broad Jump: 9’6”
POSITIVES
Pratt has the tools you need for an ideal pocket passer, including his frame and size. He was a four-year starter and a three-year captain and showed improvement each year at Tulane. He consistently makes tight-window throws in the short-to-intermediate range. He has good patience and anticipation when waiting on receivers and can hit them in stride. Pratt is safe with the ball in his hands never throwing more than eight interceptions in a single season. His mechanics are pretty good and will require very few improvements. Pratt is very good at selling the pump fake and also possesses enough mobility to keep plays alive and get additional yardage with his legs. Pratt has great pocket toughness and is willing to stay in the pocket as it collapses and take a hit as he throws. He has also shown an ability to read a defense and handle all the pre-snap determinations with checks and protection calls. A good decision-maker who is good at taking what’s given and a decent athlete with enough creativity to keep defenses guessing.
NEGATIVES
Pratt lacks the type of arm strength and will have to put in the work if he hopes to connect on deep balls at the next level. He has a delayed release due to his windup and will have to work on getting the ball out quicker to make an impact in the much faster-paced NFL. This winding release also affects his ball placement when throwing deep. While he is capable of keeping plays alive with his legs, his athleticism is not elite enough to be a consistent threat in this regard. He can be slow at times in getting through his progressions and will often force receivers to break their stride on downfield throws. He doesn’t have elite field vision and sometimes misses windows. Doesn’t have a lot of change-of-direction talent or burst and relies too much on toughness. While he is very good pre-snap, he often loses sight of defenders moving post-snap. He can also play a bit stiff and hesitant at times.
GRADE – C+
The range of outcomes is wide for Michael Pratt. He could be the next NFL quarterback who gets completely overlooked but then later proves to be a valuable project QB. He possesses all the physical traits of an ideal pocket passer. He is great at managing the field and playing a clean game. While his accuracy on deep balls needs some work he is good at hitting on short to intermediate throws. Right now, Michael Pratt likely projects as an early Day 3 pick and a solid backup quarterback in the NF. He lacks the polish and high-end traits to be much else at this time, but with the right situation and development, he could surprise some people. His toughness and aggressive style of play are the basis of his game. But that can only take a player so far, especially at the quarterback position. While Pratt’s skillset could certainly help keep a team afloat in a pinch, his lack of high-end traits limits his ceiling. Pratt will have to improve on these traits and prove he can adjust to the speed of the NFL if he ever wants to be anything more than a journeyman backup in the NFL.
A die hard Bears fan and fantasy sports fantastic, T.J. Besler earned his journalism (and theatre) degree from The University of Iowa. When he isn’t busy writing parodies for his YouTube channel Parodies for Charities he can be found either on stage performing or doing all things fantasy football related. Besler has traveled to nearly all 50 states either for work or leisure, and is grateful to everyone who has helped him along the way, especially his lovely wife Elsa, without whom much of this would not be possible. BEAR DOWN!
