From now until the 2024 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Tulane QB Michael Pratt.
#7 Michael Pratt/QB Tulane – 6024, 217 lbs. (Junior)
Senior Bowl
Combine
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Michael Pratt | 6024/217 | 9 1/4 | 30 3/4 | 77 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| N/A | N/A | 4.23 | 7.20 | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 9’6″ | 36 | N/A |
The Good
– Accuracy is there, especially being able to layer in throws over a defender
– Tested pretty well at the combine with his worst attribute being weight in the 52nd percentile and his best being a 36-inch vertical which lands in the 95th percentile
– Takes advantage of zone coverage and will hit the hole shots every time
– Willing to put his body on the line both blocking and running the ball
– Has a good internal clock on understanding on when to take a checkdown or run it himself
– Not a turnover machine
The Bad
– Wasn’t forced to go through progressions which is a necessity at the next level
– Hasn’t shown to always reset his base throwing on the run causing straight arm power throws and bad accuracy
– Statistics are a bit over-exaggerated due to great yards after catch receivers
– Anticipation isn’t there which causes risky passes from waiting too long
– Feels pressure which forces him into bad mechanics and inaccurate passes
– Pocket presence isn’t at a high level
Bio
– 22 years old
– 46 games played for Tulane
– 10,758 total offensive yards, 119 total touchdowns, 26 interceptions and 148.0 quarterback rating in his Tulane career
– 2,692 total offensive yards, 27 total touchdowns, 5 interceptions and 158.9 quarterback rating in 2023
– 2023 jammed right finger, 2023 left knee injury that lingered and a 2021 concussion
– Three-star QB in his 2020 high school class from Deerfield Beach, FL
– Holds the school record for career passing touchdowns and passing yards while also being sixth all-time in rushing touchdowns for Tulane
– Homeschooled until ninth-grade
– Attended Boca Raton High School until his senior year where he transferred to Deerfield Beach High School
Tape Breakdown
This may be the worst throw of Michael Pratt’s career. When you talk about important traits for a quarterback, leading the receiver is near the top of the list. Pratt’s receiver is running free straight to the sideline and the ball is placed far right inside towards the hashmark. Even though there are two defensive backs in the area, the receiver was so open that shouldn’t have mattered. Instead, it turns into an interception for the defense on an early down towards the end of the half.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) March 6, 2024
Looking at Pratt from an athlete perspective is very interesting. His rushing ability stands out on plays like this one that Tulane ran a lot for big yardage. But Pratt is a graceless athlete. All over his tape are plays where he is slipping, running into defenders or irrationally trying to hurdle defenders. Even in this play where the result ends in a positive, Pratt nearly trips twice before breaking free, and his legs are so scattered instead of running in a line with a purpose.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) March 6, 2024
Anticipating throws is what will most likely hold Pratt back on draft night, and if he doesn’t fix it, his career will suffer. In this play, he waits until the receiver fully has his head turned, and they make eye contact to throw the ball. This comes while Pratt is staring the route down the entire time, causing a lurking defender to already be on the prowl. The late throw allows the defender to make a play and nearly cause a serious injury to the intended receiver. Even if the health of the receiver isn’t of the utmost importance, this ball easily could’ve been tipped off the hands of the receiver and into the air for an interception considering how hard he was hit.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) March 6, 2024
One of Pratt’s best abilities is being able to layer throws in and over traffic. This throw is pretty routine and simple, but the touch Pratt puts on it makes it an even easier catch for his receiver. As many quarterbacks will say, sometimes the hardest throws are also the simplest because they overthink the opportunity and don’t want to mess it up.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) March 6, 2024
Here, we have back-to-back plays and a perfect example of the importance of lower-body mechanics. On the first play, Pratt’s lower half is swaying towards centerfield and back to the receiver. It’s never a consistent motion, and causes a full arm push from Pratt and an inaccurate pass. The second play shows Pratt keeping his lower half towards the receiver. You can see more hip thrust, which is where the power comes from, and ultimately a perfect pass. This is an example of Pratt taking advantage of a do-over and fixing his mistakes. If Pratt is aware he did this, that is very good and points to a coachable player. However, if he is unaware and doing it subconsciously, that can be worrisome and mean he’s just guessing on the field.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) March 6, 2024
Conclusion
Michael Pratt is a solid quarterback prospect with the raw athletic intangibles. This was shown from his combine that ranked in the 82nd percentile and didn’t score below average on anything. From a refinement of mechanics standpoint, he’s about halfway there. He will have a stretch of two or three flawless drives doing just about everything perfectly, and then follow that up with a drive full of mistakes. Some of these mistakes really cost him, like not being able to anticipate a throwing window and almost badly injuring his receiver. Most of these mistakes can be coached up at the next level, but that is also assuming he is going to be receptive to the coaching, which not everyone is. I think Pratt has a long way to go when it comes to a pocket presence and how to deal with pressure.
Multiple times on tape he has a lane to step into a throw but chooses not to, and the defender is able to get to him and disrupt the play. Considering this is a guy who didn’t play any sports until his freshman year of high school, he has come a long way in a pretty short amount of time.
Another area he can get better in is his chemistry with receivers. Some passes didn’t make it to his target, which is potentially due to the receiver having an option route or just breaking later than Pratt thought he would. Either way, it was noticeable. This could also be the reason Pratt seemingly can’t anticipate throwing windows because he doesn’t have a great rapport with his pass catchers.
He kind of reminds me of a worse Kenny Pickett. The athleticism shows up on the field and through testing, and both have similar frames. Neither will wow you with monster plays and will show flaws, but they can string together a handful of drives at a high level to march their team down the field.
Projection: 6th round
Depot Draft Grade: 6.5 – End Of Roster/Practice Squad (6th/7th Round)
Games Watched: Senior Bowl (2023), North Texas (2023), UCF (2022), USC (2022)
