ESPN: Broncos, Falcons Liked Spencer Rattler the Most Amid Rumors on NFL Draft Slide

South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler might have had to wait so long to hear his name called in the 2024 NFL draft in part because the two teams most interested in him already addressed the position in the first round.

ESPN's Adam Schefter speculated Monday on the Pat McAfee Show that Rattler's fall in the draft was due mostly to how the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons were his "two best options." Atlanta took Washington's Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall, while Denver selected Oregon's Bo Nix with the 12th pick.

By and large, Rattler had a disappointing college career considering he was such a highly touted recruit coming out of high school. He got eclipsed by Caleb Williams during his third year at Oklahoma, and his two-year run at South Carolina (6,212 yards, 37 touchdowns, 20 interceptions and a 143.2 passer rating) wasn't all that notable.

The Arizona native was the No. 67 overall player and sixth-best quarterback on Bleacher Report's final 2024 big board.

Few would've had him lasting until the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round, though.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the Netflix documentary QB1: Beyond the Lights may have played a role. Rattler was profiled as part of the third season and among the events that unfolded was him violating his school's code of conduct and getting ruled ineligible midway through his senior campaign

Rapoport said during NFL Network's draft broadcast that multiple teams cited Rattler's portrayal in QB1 as a concern.

Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer hit back at what he called "a tired, lazy narrative" about the player's general attitude and demeanor:

One silver lining for Rattler is that he landed with a team that has an incumbent (Derek Carr) who didn't go above and beyond in 2023 and could feasibly be gone within the next two to three years.

New Orleans should provide him with an opportunity to address his skeptics head-on.