Breaking: Buccaneers to Land Former 28-TD QB With ‘Big Arm’

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could add another quarterback to their roster.

In his 2024 NFL mock draft, CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards predicts the Buccaneers will select South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler with the 57th overall choice in the second round.

Spencer Rattler Was Highly Touted QB Early in College Career

The 23-year-old Rattler is a former standout quarterback. In fact, he was once regarded as the top quarterback in the 2019 class coming out of high school. Rattler met those goals early in his college career while playing for the Oklahoma Sooners.

The 6-foot Rattler led the Sooners to the Big 12 Championship in his debut season as a starter in 2020. Rattler threw 28 touchdown passes and seven interceptions, with a completion rate of 67.5%. He led the Big 12 in nearly every major passing category, including touchdowns, passing yards, completion percentage, and pass efficiency rating.

Rattler’s outstanding redshirt freshman season made him the Heisman Trophy frontrunner entering the 2021 season. Despite guiding the Sooners to a 6-0 start to the season, he lost his starting job to then-Sooners quarterback Caleb Williams, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Rattler lost his job to Williams during a rivalry game against the Texas Longhorns, where the Sooners trailed by 21 points before being carried to victory by the later quarterback.

Rattler has been the South Carolina Gamecocks’ main quarterback for the past two seasons, compiling a respectable stat line of 37 touchdowns to 20 interceptions and a 67.5% completion rate.

Rattler may be short for a passer at 6 feet tall and 211 pounds, but he is one of the most competent quarterbacks in this draft class. There’s a reason he was regarded as the best quarterback in the country coming out of high school and was once the starter for a major institution in the Sooners.

According to Sports Illustrated’s JC Allen, Rattler possesses a “big arm” but may be “robotic” in the pocket.

“Rattler has a powerful arm and can dot the field. Allen writes, “He has a quick release and shows good anticipation of finding receivers as they come out of their breaks.” “He outworks everyone in the building and was elected team captain in his junior and senior years. Rattler can become overly robotic in the pocket when analyzing reads, and it loses accuracy when on the run or forced to throw off base.”

Why Selecting Spencer Rattler in Round 2 Could Be Problematic

 

 

There is little doubt that Rattler has a lot of potential and could one day become a starter quarterback. However, drafting Rattler with a second-round choice only a few months after signing Baker Mayfield as the team’s franchise quarterback may raise some concerns.

Rattler is anticipated to be drafted in the third round, according to Bleacher Report’s scouting report. In other words, the Buccaneers would not only use their Day 2 choice on a quarterback, but they would also reach for him.

Given Tampa Bay’s subpar backups (Kyle Trask and John Wolford), the Buccaneers might very well draft a quarterback. However, picking Rattler in the second round could spark a quarterback issue, especially if Mayfield struggles during the 2024 season.