The Green Bay Packers have a juicy position battle at backup quarterback.
In a vicious fight for who will earn the spot behind Jordan Love, it's second-year QB Sean Clifford versus rookie QB Michael Pratt.
Clifford was drafted out of Penn State by Green Bay in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He barely got on the field last season, appearing in the waning minutes of two games and throwing just one pass (a completion!).
Pratt was drafted out of Tulane by the Packers in the seventh round of the 2024 draft. Although Pratt is entering the upcoming season with less NFL experience than Clifford, a report released Wednesday by Bleacher Report's Tyler D. Brooke asserted that Pratt "will have a legitimate chance of challenging (Clifford) for the backup QB spot."
Pratt achieved considerable success in college, but his average arm strength prevented him from being a higher pick in the draft, according to Brooke.
"At 6-foot-2 and 217 pounds, Pratt comes into the league with a solid frame and plenty of starting experience," Brooke said. "However, it’s easy to see why he was considered such a late-round pick when comparing him to the top quarterbacks in his draft class. ... Pratt doesn’t have the arm talent to get away with much, especially at the NFL level. It’s evident on some of his throws with more zip on it that he’s really having to step into the throw to get it there with maximum effort."
In spite of the average arm strength, Brooke noted that Pratt's accuracy and touch, pocket presence, and toughness are all off the charts.
"Pratt was able to get away with less-than-ideal arm strength (in college) by layering the ball over defenders and into tighter windows," Brooke said. "His touch and accuracy helped him make up for that ... The first thing that immediately stands out on tape is how confident and comfortable Pratt is at running his offense. ... Fans will also appreciate Pratt’s toughness in the pocket. He took a good amount of punishment over his career, getting sacked 103 times over four seasons. However, even with all those hits adding up, Pratt wasn’t afraid to step into the pocket to deliver it deep, even when he knew that he was going to take a shot."
Pratt is coming off an illustrious career at Tulane. He took over as Tulane's starting quarterback as a true freshman and went on to throw for 9,611 yards and 90 touchdowns over a four-year stretch that culminated in him being named AAC Offensive Player of the Year last season.
It's been quite a rise for Pratt, and if he wins the training camp battle against Clifford, he'll find himself one unfortunate injury away from being the starting quarterback for one of the NFL's most illustrious franchises.
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