The Green Bay Packers selected former Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt (7) in the seventh round of … [+] the 2024 draft.
No one perfected the art of finding quarterbacks — even when you had them — quite like Ron Wolf.
Wolf, the Green Bay Packers’ general manager from 1991-2000, took a quarterback in seven of his 10, even though he had already traded for future Hall of Famer Brett Favre.
Green Bay G.M. Brian Gutekunst has expressed an interest in adopting a similar philosophy, even with rising quarterback Jordan Love on the roster. And Gutekunst did just that Saturday when he used a seventh round draft pick on quarterback Michael Pratt.
“I wanted to add a quarterback and a bunch went early, so there wasn’t a lot of guys available in the mid-rounds,” Gutekunst said. “So as we got later and later (Pratt) was kind of the only left that we wanted to target, so that was kind of nice.”
If Gutekunst begins having half the luck with quarterbacks that Wolf once did, Packer Nation will be all smiles.
Wolf drafted Mark Brunell, Ty Detmer, Aaron Brooks and Matt Hasselbeck — all players that became starters for other organizations. Brunell threw for more than 32,000 yards and 184 touchdowns after leaving Green Bay.
Gutekunst deserves great praise for putting his neck on the line and taking Love in the first round of the 2020 draft — even though he had Aaron Rodgers on his team. Gutekunst seems to have also found a quality No. 2 quarterback in Sean Clifford, who he drafted in the fifth round last year.
Now, the Packers will hope that Pratt pans out, as well.
Pratt (6-2, 217) was a four-year starter at Tulane who threw for 9,602 yards, 90 touchdowns and had a passer rating of 101.8. While Pratt has a nice touch with the football, many scouts questioned his arm talent, which is one reason he fell to the seventh round.
Pratt is a huge reason, though, Tulane went 23-5 over the last two seasons after finishing 2-10 in 2021.
“Obviously a winner. He really turned that program around,” Gutekunst said. “Started a lot of games for them. He’s a good athlete. He’s got a pretty live arm. Very accurate. Just like the way he handled himself. He had some big wins, so we’re excited.”
Packers coach Matt LaFleur was just equally pumped.
“I think he’s a guy that he definitely is a tough, fearless thrower and that to me is a prerequisite with the position,” LaFleur said. “You’ve got to be able to stand in there and throw in muddy pockets, throw in the face of pressure and I think he exhibited that. I think he’s a winner, so we were excited. We were kind of shocked that he was still there in the seventh.”
Pratt and current Green Bay backup Clifford became friends a few years back after meeting at the Manning Passing Academy. So Pratt is excited to see at least one familiar face when he arrives in Green Bay.
“Just gonna go up there and having at least one guy that I know, especially in that room,” Pratt said. “Just having that opportunity to continue our friendship and be able to push each other, be able to lead each other, learn from each other. I think it’s an awesome experience.”
Pratt knows he has plenty to learn making the jump from the American Conference to the NFL. But he can’t wait to get started.
“Obviously I’m stepping into a new realm from college to the NFL,” Pratt said. “Just taking everything I can from all the coaching staff, from all the players who have had an experience that I haven’t yet.
“I think just continuing to work on accuracy, continuing to work on the mental aspect of the game and understanding defenses and understanding offensive scheme and protections. I think as a whole you can continue to grow in all those ways and that’s what I want to continue to do.”