South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler experienced a significant slide in the NFL Draft, eventually being selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round.
The delay in his selection was widely attributed to concerns over his character, an issue that has shadowed him since his high school days, which were documented in the Netflix series “QB1: Beyond the Lights.”
During his tenure at Oklahoma, Rattler’s leadership and attitude were questioned, especially following a mid-season benching. However, his subsequent transfer to South Carolina marked a turning point. There, he was twice elected team captain and showed notable maturity, maintaining a positive demeanor even in the face of challenges like inadequate protection from his offensive line.
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Despite these improvements, doubts about his character persisted into the NFL Draft, overshadowing his redemption efforts. Pete Thamel reported that concerns over Rattler’s “intangibles,” particularly from his time at Oklahoma, played a significant role in his draft tumble.
There are the intangibles about Rattler, especially going back to his days at Oklahoma when he lost the job to Caleb Williams.
There are questions about his work ethic, questions about his attitude and you have to ask the question if you draft him: Can you trust him to come in and be a backup?
Questions about his work ethic and attitude lingered, leading teams to wonder if he could be relied upon as a backup in the NFL. South Carolina’s head coach Shane Beamer has strongly defended Rattler, attempting to dispel the lingering perceptions of immaturity.
Interestingly, NFL insider Adam Schefter pointed out that the draft dynamics played a huge part. He noted on the Pat McAfee Show that the two teams most interested in Rattler, the Atlanta Falcons and the Denver Broncos, opted for other quarterbacks in the first round, leaving Rattler without a clear path early in the draft.
“The two teams that liked Spencer Rattler the most were the Broncos and Falcons,” Schefter said Monday on the Pat McAfee Show. “Those two options closed up immediately which left him sitting on the board longer than people thought he would.”
This sequence of events left Rattler available much longer than anticipated, complicating the narrative around his character concerns.
Now, as he joins the Saints, Rattler will be part of a quarterback room that includes Derek Carr, Taysom Hill, Jake Haener, Kellen Mond, and Nathan Peterman, where he’ll compete for a spot and seek to prove his detractors wrong.
