Robert Griffin III: Spencer Rattler is the QB steal of the NFL Draft
There’s all this chatter about whether six quarterbacks will make it into tonight’s first round of the NFL Draft. But one analyst believes the steal will come much later in the three-day festivities.
Lucky No. 7 could be Spencer Rattler. That’s according to Robert Griffin III, the 2011 Heisman winner and No. 2 pick of the 2012 NFL Draft. Griffin, who starred at Baylor, has seen all sides of the draft process. That’s why he’s giving some keen insight into Rattler’s draft grade as he broke down the former South Carolina quarterback’s game tape.
“Spencer Rattler is the QB STEAL of the draft,” RGIII shared on X. “He went through adversity and had to find himself after showing up on the scene with all the hype. His ability will make your jaw hit the floor.”
If you follow any sort of NFL Draft coverage, you know that the quarterbacks are the big story. The Bears should pick Caleb Williams at No. 1. Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye should go two and three. By Thursday afternoon, there was building buzz that some team — possibly the Vikings or Broncos — would move up to No. 4 to select J.J. McCarthy. The Chargers at No. 5 also could trade down to allow some quarterback-hungry team a chance to draft one.
Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix are quarterbacks five and six. Penix seems to be rising on the NFL Draft boards as teams decide that his knee/shoulder issues are medical conditions of the past. They can see that his tape from Washington shows that he’s healed from what happened back when he played for Indiana.
And NFL Draft analysts now are likening Nix to Drew Brees, while speculating that the Broncos could snag him.
That leaves Rattler, the one-time five-star recruiting prospect who once was ahead of Williams on the depth chart. That was back when they both played at Oklahoma. Rattler transferred away to South Carolina. And Williams followed coach Lincoln Riley to USC. Now, the two quarterbacks are tied together by this year’s NFL Draft.
Where will Spencer Rattler go in NFL Draft?
So what’s Rattler’s draft future? For one, he should be the first South Carolina quarterback to be picked since Todd Ellis went to the Broncos in the ninth round of the 1990 NFL Draft. Rattler also would be the fifth Gamecock quarterback to be drafted.
Meanwhile, an ESPN mock draft predicts that Rattler will end up with the Rams in the third round. The Rams could take a QB in the first if one falls to them. Otherwise, they will be looking to the future as they seek an heir apparent to Matthew Stafford.
Pro Football Focus even had Rattler as a first-rounder, although that pick seems to be an outlier. In this situation, PFF projects the Vikings to pick Rattler with the 23rd pick. Minnesota needs a quarterback after losing Kirk Cousins to the Falcons in free agency. If this prediction holds true, it would be an NFL Draft record for most quarterbacks selected in the first round.
We’ll know soon enough about where all these quarterbacks will go. To catch up on all the NFL Draft news, check out On3’s coverage here.