Spencer Rattler in South Carolina gearSpencer Rattler (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NFL insider Adam Schefter has revealed the real reason for Spencer Rattler’s shocking NFL Draft slide.

The former South Carolina quarterback wasn’t among the top prospects at his position this year and wasn’t expected to be a first-round pick. Still, no one saw a slip to the fifth round coming.

Rattler is now a member of the New Orleans Saints roster, with the NFC outfit making him the No. 150 overall pick.

His slide has been attributed to his appearance in the Netflix documentary, ‘QB1: Beyond the Lights,’ which is believed to have raised concerns over his character.

Rattler’s leadership and attitude came under scrutiny while he was at Oklahoma, but things changed after he transferred to South Carolina. The QB was elected team captain twice and earned praise for maintaining a stoic demeanor despite the weak protection he got from his offensive line.

Pete Thamel noted that there were concerns over the player’s “intangibles” from his time with the Sooners, especially after he was benched in favor of Caleb Williams.

“There are questions about his work ethic, questions about his attitude and you have to ask the question if you draft him: Can you trust him to come in and be a backup?” Thamel wondered.

However, Schefter has pushed back against these suggestions, claiming that the draft dynamics were mostly to blame for Rattler’s fall.

 

Why Spencer Rattler Really Slipped

Speaking on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ this Monday, Schefter revealed that the teams most interested in Rattler picked other QBs in the first round.

“The two teams that liked Spencer Rattler the most were the Broncos and Falcons,” the ESPN insider said. “Those two options closed up immediately which left him sitting on the board longer than people thought he would.”

Spencer Rattler will now be part of a QB room including Derek Carr, Taysom Hill, Jake Haener, Kellen Mond, and Nathan Peterson, and will look to put all the speculation regarding character concerns to bed.

Meanwhile, former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III has branded Rattler the “steal of the draft.”