The Green Bay Packers have found their next backup to Jordan Love, taking Michael Pratt in the 2024 NFL Draft.
After tons of picks in this year’s draft, the Packers used one of their two selections in the seventh round to take Pratt. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst pulled the trigger on a quarterback with the 245th overall pick.
The Packers welcomed Pratt to Green Bay with a post on X.
Expect Pratt to compete for the backup quarterback spot with 2023 draft pick Sean Clifford.
Who Is Michael Pratt?
While he wasn’t considered a top-tier QB prospect, Pratt should have a long-term home in Green Bay.
Pratt was an under-the-radar high school quarterback. A 3-star recruit, his offers mostly included MAC and Ivy League programs despite playing in Florida. Instead, he decided to stay down South to play for the Tulane Green Wave.
Tulane named Pratt the starter as a true freshman. A four-year starter, he played in 46 games for the Green Wave. He threw for 9,611 yards, 90 touchdowns, and 26 interceptions while completing 60.6 percent of his passes. He earned AAC Offensive Player of the Year honors in his final college season.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein viewed Pratt as a Round 4 pick. Here’s what he had to say about the Tulane quarterback prospect.
“Pratt has done a nice job of making safe decisions instead of reckless ones and throws with touch over all three levels,” Zierlein wrote. “He struggles to throw with consistent accuracy and placement on intermediate throws. Also, he appears to lack the anticipation and field awareness to beat NFL coverage across the field. Pratt has Day 3 potential but will be in a battle to win a future backup role.”
Pratt won’t be expected to play any time soon. However, with a strong training camp, he could establish himself as a preferred backup on Green Bay’s depth chart for years to come.
Brian Gutekunst Wanted Another Quarterback
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst made it very clear he wanted to take a quarterback in this year’s draft. He even made comments about doing so during the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
“Getting back to drafting multiple quarterbacks is something that I’ve wanted to do,” Gutekunst said at the time. “We kind of went away from that for a few years and I’d like to get back to that because I just think having young talented quarterbacks on your roster that the coaches can develop, I just think is really healthy and important for a franchise.”
Love is expected to be the long-term quarterback in Green Bay. In fact, he’s in line for a massive contract extension shortly after the 2024 NFL Draft.
However, the Packers have historically been a fan of drafting and developing backup QBs to be used as potential trade pieces down the road. The most noteworthy example was Matt Hasselbeck, who served as Brett Favre’s backup for multiple seasons before being traded to the Seattle Seahawks.
Gutekunst and his staff are hoping that Pratt could be a similar kind of asset in the coming years.
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Packers Take a Quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft