Spencer Rattler had to sit and wait through the first 2 days of the 2024 NFL Draft. Then he had to sit and wait through the fourth round of Day 3. The wait came to an end with the 15th pick in the fifth round (No. 150 overall), when the New Orleans Saints drafted the former South Carolina product.

Six quarterbacks flew off the board in the first 12 selections of this year’s draft, setting a modern draft record. The 138 picks that passed until Rattler was taken marked the longest stretch without a quarterback taken in the common draft era (since 1967).

Following an MVP performance at the Senior Bowl, there was a question as to whether Rattler could bust into the second or third round of the draft. When quarterbacks were being taken left and right, maybe Rattler’s camp thought a Day 2 pick was possible.

In the end, he winds up with a Saints franchise that will let him come in, fight for a backup job, and develop behind starter Derek Carr. Jake Haener and Nathan Peterman will be Rattler’s primary competition for the QB2 job.

Rattler was viewed as a can’t-miss prospect coming out of high school. His prep career was documented on Netflix, he was a 5-star recruit, and he was all but anointed as a future NFL star before he took a snap of college ball.

He signed with Oklahoma and sat behind Jalen Hurts as a freshman. He played fine in his second season at OU, but an up-and-down start to his second season led to Rattler being replaced with Caleb Williams. The fanbase turned on Rattler before the midpoint of the season, and by the time the annual Red River Rivalry game had arrived, Rattler was on the thinnest of ice.

Williams replaced him against Texas, led a comeback, and never gave the job back.

Rattler then transferred to South Carolina where he immediately took over as the starter for the Gamecocks. He completed 67.5% of his passes over 2 seasons with 6,212 passing yards, finishing fifth on the program’s all-time list.

In Columbia, Rattler threw 20 interceptions against 37 touchdowns, sometimes putting the ball in harm’s way and sometimes pressing the action too much. In 2023, he had to deal with a persistent onslaught from opposing defenses behind an offensive line that struggled to protect him. He was sacked 35 times in 3 years at OU. In 2 years at South Carolina, he was sacked 71 times.

But Rattler handled the season well. He completed 68.9% of his throws for 3,186 yards and 19 touchdowns against 8 picks. His favorite target — Xavier Legette — caught 71 balls for 1,255 yards and became a first-round draft pick.

He has physical tools that should translate well to the league. With the Saints, he’ll have a chance to learn. After a tumultuous college career, that should be a breath of fresh air.