Anyone who watched college football over the last five seasons could tell you former Tulane Green Wave quarterback Michael Pratt was an absolute stud. He helped the Greenies win the Group of Five two years ago, but opted to come back for one more season to improve his NFL Draft stock. That did not work out so hot for him, as Pratt went from a day-two lock to being a seventh-round selection.
Even though his chances of being the starting quarterback with the Green Bay Packers are slim to non-existent, he could be talented enough to usurp second-year pro Sean Clifford on the depth chart behind Jordan Love. While Clifford did play well in the Packers' 23-10 preseason win over the Cleveland Browns, Pratt did put forth a pair of highlight-worthy plays to keep him on his heels a tad.
While both Clifford and Pratt were stars in college, Pratt always had the higher NFL upside. Not to say Clifford wasn't draftable coming out of Penn State, but he wasn't on my radar to do much of anything at the next level quite to the degree I felt about Pratt this time last year. The good news for Green Bay is the Packers seem to have one of the better and more interesting quarterback rooms in the league.
Here is Pratt laying the lumber by dropping his shoulder to serve as the lead blocker on this big run.
Look at rookie QB Michael Pratt haul ass and throw a shoulder as the lead blocker. LaFleur is gonna dream about this play tonight. https://t.co/0c9pFdOql9
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) August 10, 2024
And here is Pratt throwing the ball down the field with great touch and anticipation after a low snap.
Michael Pratt to Julian Hicks for one of the prettiest plays of the game. pic.twitter.com/rwR59ajdRf
— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) August 11, 2024
Even if Pratt breathing down his neck gives him nightmares, this is only a good thing for Clifford, too.
Sean Clifford beginning to feel pressure by Michael Pratt's presence
What seems to be the case in Green Bay is every quarterback they have on staff seems to play in a similar vein. Yes, Love is the most gifted playmaker of all of them. Even if Pratt is more athletic and mobile than Clifford, all three quarterbacks appear to be trustworthy enough to lead this offense downfield to score points. Unfortunately for Clifford, Pratt is the new and exciting player in the room.
What you have to remember is that Green Bay's quarterback room had so many questions in it this time last year. Was Love going to be the guy? Why did the Packers draft Clifford? What happens if Love got hurt or did not play well? All three were answered, but adding Pratt to the mix only makes things more interesting for Green Bay. For my money, he was way too good to be drafted that low.
Ultimately, this is a season of great expectations for the Packers. They may not be my pick to win the NFC North, but there is a chance they could dethrone the Detroit Lions. Even if they come up short in that regard, I still view them comfortably as a playoff team. It is mostly to do with Love's growth and development at the quarterback position, but I am pleased to see depth I can get behind a bit more.
If Love, Clifford and Pratt all push each other to be better, Green Bay can be a Super Bowl contender.