His team was trailing in the Cotton Bowl, he had to face multiple fourth downs, and he was forced to deal with constant pressure. Yet Michael Pratt illustrated next-level composure.
Tulane’s star quarterback kept the Green Wave’s hopes alive as they trailed by six points against USC during the 2022 season. Late in the fourth quarter, he converted one of those fourth downs by running it himself for just enough yards and another when he connected on a deep pass down the middle after scrambling.
Tulane reached USC’s 6-yard line with 12 seconds to go. On second and goal, Pratt handled a shotgun snap with three receivers to his left and one to his right.
But even in a stressful situation, he exuded confidence. The ball was out of his hands in two seconds.
Green Wave tight end Alex Bauman corralled the pass for a touchdown, helping give Tulane the monumental victory for the program.
Pratt left a legacy at Tulane, and he believes the program has also made a substantial impact on him. And during his collegiate journey, he proved he’s capable of being a pro quarterback.
“I think one of the biggest things is who you are as a person,” Pratt said of how Tulane prepared him to be a pro. “Coach (Willie) Fritz did a really awesome job of bringing great people into that program and really creating a culture. Everybody at this level is really talented, but it’s kind of the intangibles that keep you around and put you to the next level.
“So I think just kind of polishing those things and establishing who I am as a person, how I can help my teammates no matter what my role, however I can elevate the people around me, be an asset to the locker room are things that I think are sometimes overlooked at this level because everybody is really talented.”
Where Did Michael Pratt Get Drafted?
Pratt was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He was selected with the 245th overall pick.
“I think consistency is one of the biggest things,” Pratt said when asked what NFL teams have told him is one of his best traits. “Being smart with the football, taking what’s there. I think that’s something that’s going to translate to the next level as windows are gonna get smaller. You’re gonna have to be a lot more patient. You’re gonna have to be a lot smarter with the ball.”
Michael Pratt’s NFL Combine Performance
Pratt didn’t run the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, but he still showed how athletic he is in Indianapolis. He was top three among quarterbacks there in the vertical, broad jump, three-cone, and 20-yard shuttle.
He had the best vertical (36 inches) and 20-yard shuttle (4.23 seconds) among passers who participated in measurable drills at the combine. He was third in the broad jump (9 feet, 6 inches) and three-cone (7.2 seconds).
Michael Pratt’s Stats And Highlights
Pratt concluded his stellar Tulane career by becoming the AAC Player of the Year in 2023. He threw for 2,406 yards, 22 touchdowns, and five picks on a career-best 65% completion rate.
Pratt has been a starter at Tulane since 2020. As a freshman, he accrued 1,806 yards and 20 touchdowns, the most by any true freshman in the country in 2020, and eight interceptions. During his sophomore campaign, he totaled 2,390 passing yards, 2,544 all-purpose yards, 26 touchdowns, and eight picks — putting together seven straight games with a touchdown pass — en route to making the All-AAC honorable mention list.
As a junior, he threw for 2,684 yards, 25 touchdowns — which is in the top five at Tulane for a single season — and five interceptions. He added 494 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.
And that was all while dealing with Tulane’s consistent changes at offensive coordinator.
“I think there’s definitely benefits and negatives to having a different offensive coordinator every single year,” Pratt said. “One of the things that’s really beneficial from it is learning from multiple different coaches. There’s a lot of different knowledge that you can take from that. Also having to stay on your toes, continuously learning the game of football, but you just learn so much more from different people, different perspectives. It was something that was really beneficial for me.”
Michael Pratt’s NFL Comparison And Draft Profile
My NFL comparison for Pratt is Carson Wentz, minus Wentz’s questionable decision-making. Drew Brees was also Pratt’s favorite quarterback growing up, and there could be some similarities there in their approach.
Similar to Wentz, Pratt has a good frame at 6-foot-3, 217 pounds, has a strong arm, and has the athleticism to run when needed.
As proven with his rushing numbers, Pratt has great mobility. He probably won’t run in the NFL as much as he did in college, but his speed will help him evade pressure at the next level.
He’s also capable of throwing when on the move. And as he does deal with pressure, he does a good job of keeping his eyes downfield and finding receivers.
Pratt’s touch on deep passes also stands out on tape. He knows when to zip a pass over the middle and when to float a throw over a defender – and he’s accurate doing both.
Though he sometimes could be more decisive and be quicker to either run or throw the ball away, he does have a quick throwing motion. He also has impressive velocity on short and intermediate passes.
The most important piece of feedback Pratt has received during the draft process, he said, was about his footwork. But if he keeps improving as he did in college, he could be a starter for an NFL team some day.
“I think it’s easy to talk about background, talk about football, talk about all those things,” Pratt said about his meetings with NFL personnel. “I think the biggest thing I’ve just been trying to sell is really my intangibles, what I’m able to do off the field in the locker room, how I’m able to elevate the people around me, which is something that I take a lot of pride in.”
