The Pittsburgh Steelers have a number of alternatives for how they will handle the quarterback situation during the 2024 summer, including some major names.
However, a player who may be unfamiliar to NFL fans might be the Steelers’ new quarterback.
According to Steelers Now’s Nick Farabaugh, Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt could be the best match for the Steelers in the forthcoming draft.
Pratt’s collegiate experience at a mid-major may have limited his exposure, but he built a resume that should pique the eye of any team that missed out on first-round quarterbacks.
Four years of strong play at Tulane.
In collegiate athletics, experienced players are not hard to find.
Many players took advantage of the fifth year of eligibility that everyone was granted in 2020.
It’s much tougher to locate players with that experience who didn’t need the extra year.
Pratt is one of these players.
He became Tulane’s starter three games into his freshman year and never looked back.
Over four seasons with the team, he passed for 9611 yards and 90 touchdowns, earning some big honors along the way.
In 2022, he was named to the All-American Conference Second Team. He ended the season with a shootout victory over USC in the Cotton Bowl.
He then made the First Team in 2023 and won the AAC Offensive Player of the Year award.
His performance in the 2023 season helped Tulane become one of the finest mid-majors in college football, finishing 11-2 before losing their bowl game without him.
Pratt’s extended tenure as Tulane’s quarterback has kept him on the draft radar for quite some time, and his last two seasons may have been enough to propel him to a Day Two choice.
The Steelers’ low-risk approach at quarterback
Opinions differ over how the Steelers should handle the quarterback position during the 2024 summer.
If a quarterback is expected to be available, then you can probably find somebody that believes that QB is the right one for the Steelers.
That applies to both veterans and members of this year’s draft class.
However, a major trade at quarterback may not result in a large payoff for Pittsburgh.
After signing Arthur Smith as their new offensive coordinator, it appears like the Steelers will focus more on the run game.
It’s a sensible approach given the success they had with the run game at the end of the 2023 regular season, as well as the fact that they have two talented running backs in Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren.
However, regardless of who the team’s quarterback is, this technique will restrict the impact he will have on the game.
That makes it difficult to justify spending a first-round choice or a large sum of money on a quarterback.
Instead, they may play it safe and keep Mason Rudolph, or they could sign a cheap veteran and take a risk on a quarterback late in the selection.
If that’s how they decide to play it, then Pratt would be a quarterback worth taking a look at that the Steelers could let develop on their bench for a couple of years.
