Insider explains why Falcons disasterclass, reality show made Spencer Rattler slide

After seeing six quarterbacks get taken with the first 12 selections of the 2024 NFL Draft, a whopping total of one has been picked since.

The positional group of this class has been widely considered a top-heavy bunch, with many desperate teams near the top of the draft needing a new franchise signal-caller. However, the Atlanta Falcons stunned everyone by spending the No. 8 pick on Michael Penix Jr. of Washington, fresh off signing four-time Pro Bowler Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract via free agency this offseason.

Penix going to Atlanta has had a trickle-down effect on the lack of quarterbacks chosen since the first dozen picks, partly explaining why South Carolina's Spencer Rattler has drastically slid down the draft board and fallen to the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round (No. 150 overall), per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Insider explains how Falcons' disasterclass played a role in Spencer Rattler's slide

"To me, as I looked across the landscape, this was the spot," Rapoport said regarding the Falcons reaching on Penix to sit behind Cousins and how it impacted Rattler's draft stock, primarily because Atlanta was considered a prime destination for the former Gamecock. "But that seemed to be the most realistic and best option for him [Rattler]. When the Falcons went quarterback in Round 1, that was off the table, and then obviously, he was in for a very long wait," he said.

Rapoport also noted that Rattler's appearance on the Netflix reality show QB1 when he was a high school recruit played a factor in his fall, saying that the way he was portrayed in the documentary show was something that executives were having a hard time getting past.

Instead, Rattler lands with a divisional rival in the Saints as an understudy and potential wake-up call to veteran signal-caller Derek Carr, and he will face the Falcons twice a year for the foreseeable future.

Like Rapoport points out, the Falcons are only one of 32 teams who could have selected Rattler. So, it somewhat clarifies why he fell to the middle of the fifth round despite projecting to be a fourth-rounder by NFL analyst Lance Zierlein.

Rattler set a South Carolina record in 2023 by completing 68.9 percent of his pass attempts, throwing for 3,186 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He was touted as a top prospect dating back to his days at Oklahoma in 2020 but has since failed to replicate the brilliance he displayed then consistently.