In April, the Green Bay Packers selected Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt with the first of their two seventh-round picks, making him the 245th selection overall. Had the Packers gone in a different direction at number 245 – say, Penn State cornerback Kalen King, who they also nabbed 10 picks later – Pratt's wait for a phone call might not have lasted much longer.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers owned the very next pick and were definitely considering Pratt as an intriguing developmental option. Instead, at pick number 246 they ended up selecting Washington tight end Devin Culp, who made the regular-season roster after showing some big-play potential in training camp.
In this case, however, the Buccaneers got to have their cake and eat it too. The Packers traded for former Titans quarterback Malik Willis on the day of the leaguewide cuts to 53-man rosters and kept him as their lone backup to Jordan Love. They also stashed quarterback Sean Clifford, who they had drafted in the fifth round the year before, on the practice squad. That made Pratt the odd man out and he hit the waiver wire with hundreds of other players around the league.
At that point, the Buccaneers eagerly grabbed a second chance to work with Pratt, signing him to their practice squad after he cleared waivers, using a spot widely expected to go to John Wolford. Like the Packers, the Bucs are carrying only two quarterbacks on their active roster – Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask – but likely planned to elevate a third from the practice squad if either of those was unavailable. Pratt is now in that position, but the Bucs look at him as more than a short-term emergency option.
"We liked him in the draft process," said Head Coach Todd Bowles. "We thought about him late – he got taken. He's a very good game quarterback. He can throw the ball, he can make all the throws, he's not afraid, he's accurate, and he's smart – that's one thing we liked about him. We don't think we just got a practice squad quarterback, we think we got a guy we can develop."
Pratt started 44 of the 45 games he played over four seasons at Tulane, winning Freshman All-American honors during the COVID-shortened 2022 season. Last year he was named the AAC Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 2,406 yards, 22 touchdowns and five interceptions in 11 games. Overall, he threw for 9,603 yards and 90 touchdowns for the Green Wave while also rushing 447 times for 1,145 yards and five more scores. NFL scouts appreciated his accuracy, anticipation, pocket mobility and calmness under pressure.
Trask, now going into his second season as Mayfield's primary backup, is playing on the final year of his rookie contract. Head Coach Todd Bowles has expressed confidence in him, and he could extend his time in Tampa with a second contract. However, if Trask isn't back next year, the team may view Pratt as a potential long-term reserve option with some starting upside down the road. They certainly saw things they liked in Pratt's game during the predraft process; now they have a chance to find out what he can do.
