COLUMBIA — After six quarterbacks were selected first round of the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday not a single quarterback was taken in the second and third rounds on Friday, delaying South Carolina football’s Spencer Rattler’s NFL future.
Rattler, a two-year starter for the Gamecocks after starting his college career at Oklahoma, hasn’t been drafted through three rounds, but teammate Xavier Legette was taken at pick No. 32 in the first round. Legette was a go-to wide receiver for Rattler at South Carolina.
It was never fully guaranteed or heavily predicted Rattler would go in the first round but some reports wrote about the possibility. It was more likely Rattler would be drafted round two or three.
The Las Vegas Raiders traded quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the Los Angeles Rams in March, leaving the QB starting role a bit of a mystery but potentially between Aidan O’Connell or Gardner Minshew. With the position change, some expected the Raiders to draft Rattler, adding to the quarterback options. The Raiders had the No. 13 pick in round one, No. 44 in round two and No. 77 in round three. The Raiders may still consider drafting Rattler if he is available by pick No. 112 in round four.
Reports had Rattler potentially going to the Seattle Seahawks, the New York Giants, and the Rams. Before Friday, Rattler was in conversation for the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings, but both selected a QB in the first round.
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Rattler’s options are less predictable as many mock drafts expected he’d be off the board by round three. The Seahawks could select Rattler to start round four, with pick No. 102 and have Rattler learn from current QB Geno Smith whose contract expires in 2025. Rattler may also go to the Giants with pick No. 107.
If or when Rattler is drafted in the 2024 NFL draft, he will be the first Gamecocks quarterback selected since Todd Ellis in 1990.
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Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin