Steelers Top QB Fit Emerging in NFL Draft Process

MOBILE, Ala. — The Pittsburgh Steelers are watching closely at the Senior Bowl, and while quarterbacks might not be at the top of the list for them, they are on the list. That is becoming clearer as the team scouts quarterbacks, including Bo Nix, Michael Penix, and others. But there could be one quarterback who makes even more sense than those two.

It’s Tulane’s Michael Pratt. Pratt has all-around capabilities to embrace, but confirmed that he met with the Steelers at the Senior Bowl. In fact, Pratt knows Mike Tomlin a little bit through his son Mason. Pratt’s sister played basketball at Columbia, and Pratt and Tomlin connected over that shared bond.

“Yes, I have, they were in one of my interviews on Monday night, in those cluster of interviews, but it was more about my interaction with him,” Pratt said. “Just being out there, he was there for a lot of our individual drills. You know, actually, his son plays football at Columbia where my sister played basketball at, so there’s a little connection there. We just chopped it up and talked about life. It was a good conversation.”

Pratt is a baller and cannot be forgotten about in a strong quarterback class. His process stands out on film, as he will manipulate defenders with his eyes and shoulder fakes to open up clean throwing windows. He’s an aggressive thrower who has shown the ability to access the middle of the field with touch and anticipation. Pratt throws a beautiful, high-arching deep ball and is generally accurate to all three levels. With Mason Rudolph an impending free agent, adding a guy like Pratt makes a lot of sense in the middle rounds of draft weekend.