A Conversation With A Former NFL Scout Who Has Spencer Rattler As QB1 In The 2024 Draft Class
Back on January 4th, an article posted on X by firstroundmock.com's Daniel Kelly captured the attention of the South Carolina sports landscape. In this piece, Kelly made a declaration that, to this point, I haven't seen anyone else who used to work in the NFL make: Spencer Rattler is the best quarterback prospect in the 2024 draft class.
Eventually, I sought out the former NFL personnel assistant and scout, who worked under current and future Pro Football Hall of Famers Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick, and interned under hall of fame coach Tony Dungy, wanting to gain more insight on why he slotted Rattler at the top over other names like Caleb Williams and Drake Maye.
This is what Kelly had to say about the qualities that separate Spencer from the rest of the pack:
"What's in his eyes is what separates him. He has fire and ice in his eyes that I love. Rattler has the biggest 'chip on his shoulder.' I value the 'chip'. It fuels talent. It's been told to me by a former NFL college scouting director that's what drove former NFL QB Tom Brady. As an evaluator, "want" is the single most important characteristic to look for in prospects. Point blank ⎯ Rattler wants to win more than the others."
Rattler taking a shot from a North Carolina pass rusher after getting a throw off (2nd Sept., 2023)
Jim Dedmon | USA Today Network
Daniel went on to discuss how Spencer had to do more with less at South Carolina. He pointed out the injuries suffered by Antwane' Juice' Wells and several Gamecock o-linemen in 2023 and the porous rushing attack the team had while emphasizing that Rattler still finished with a better completion percentage than Williams, Maye, and Michael Penix Jr., all considered to be 'better' draft prospects.
So this led me to ask Daniel why Rattler hadn't gotten as much hype as some of the other aforementioned quarterbacks. Kelly's response was short yet profound.
So, could Rattler rise up others' boards when he gets the chance to show off his arm talent in front of scouts and go through interviews with front-office personnel? Daniel thinks it's possible, but not a total guarantee.
"I don't like to speak for people in the NFL. Sure, it's possible, but Rattler is the dark horse of the group, and in fairness, he's a difficult evaluation. [From article linked at beginning] Scouts and front-office people will have to be able to identify the traits he has demonstrated on game film over a sustained period that translates to what's been proven to succeed for QBs in the NFL while considering the lack of comparable talent around him."
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