The New York Giants could possibly be in the market for a new quarterback this offseason. However, picking sixth overall in the draft, the G-Men will likely be out of range for the class’ top quarterback prospects. This might force the team to get creative in its search for a new rookie signal-caller.
If the Giants strike out on the first-round quarterback prospects, they could choose to draft one in the middle rounds. A recent mock draft by Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema had the Giants doing exactly that, taking South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler in Round 4.
Giants draft QB Spencer Rattler in Round 4 of PFF mock draft
After addressing the offensive line in the first round of this mock draft, Sikkema had the Giants circling back around to the quarterback position in Round 4, taking Rattler with the 104th overall pick in the draft:
“The Giants would be wise to invest in a developmental quarterback with the starting-caliber potential to play behind Daniel Jones next season — that is, of course, if they don’t take one in the first round to replace him immediately.”
Sikkema said Rattler “has been a much-improved player since his transfer.” Rattler spent his first three collegiate seasons at Oklahoma playing under head coach Lincoln Reilly before transferring to South Carolina after losing his starting job to projected No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams (who then followed Reilly to USC).
“Despite playing behind two of the least efficient offensive lines in the country over the last two years, Rattler has been a good decision-maker and lowered his turnover-worthy play rate against pressure and from a clean pocket,” Sikkema writes. “He has improved enough to deserve a shot at an NFL job.”
Could Rattler go higher than expected?
Jim Nagy, the Executive Director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl, recently told PFF that “the league is a lot higher on Spencer Rattler than the media is” and that he knows “a lot of teams have starter-level grades” on the Gamecocks quarterback. Nagy praised Rattler’s maturity and said he predicts the quarterback will do well during the interview process with NFL teams.
Spencer Rattler, incoming NFL starter? 👀@PFF_Sam | @PFF_Steve | @JimNagy_SB pic.twitter.com/M8vHVlj9jq
— PFF NFL Podcast (@PFFNFLPod) January 26, 2024
What would Rattler bring to the Giants?
Rattler had a tumultuous five-year collegiate football career. Once thought to be a future first-round or even first-overall draft pick, Rattler’s draft stock came crashing down after his sophomore campaign and he is now considered a mid-round pick in this year’s draft.
In 2023, he totaled 3,186 passing yards and 19 touchdowns through the air with eight interceptions while playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in the nation at South Carolina. The Gamecocks’ front five allowed Rattler to be sacked 39 times in 2023.
Rattler also brings a bit of mobility to the backfield. He rushed for four touchdowns this past season and has added at least three touchdowns on the ground per year in each of his starting campaigns with a career-high of six rushing touchdowns in 2021.
The Draft Network’s Damian Parson describes Rattler as “a naturally talented and gifted passer with high-end NFL arm talent.” Parsons gave Rattler a “Day 2 — Adequate Starter” Prospect Projection in his draft profile, citing his arm talent and physical tools as top strengths.
If the Giants want to take a developmental quarterback prospect in April, Rattler may be their best option. He has handled a tremendous amount of adversity in his football career and will be entering the NFL with plenty of starting experience and the right tools to be molded into an eventual starter at the next level. Rattler could be an intriguing mid-round target for the Giants to consider.
