Player
Spencer Rattler
QB
Completion rate at volume is one of the cleanest signals that a QB has learned to work through progressions under pressure. Rattler cracking top-10 league-wide in 2025 — with 257 attempts, not a sample blip — reframes him from 'late-round filler' to 'legitimate starter candidate.'
Rattler's 67.7% completion rate in 2025 ranked 8th in the NFL among QBs with 200+ attempts — the best mark ever posted by a 5th-round QB in his second season.
Milestone2025 QB completion % leaders (200+ attempts)
| Rank | QB | Comp % | Atts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drake Maye | 72.0% | 492 |
| 2 | Mac Jones | 69.6% | 289 |
| 3 | Brock Purdy | 69.4% | 284 |
| 4 | Josh Allen | 69.3% | 460 |
| 5 | Kyler Murray | 68.3% | 161 |
| 6 | Daniel Jones | 68.0% | 384 |
| 7 | Jared Goff | 68.0% | 578 |
| 8 | Spencer Rattler | 67.7% | 257 |
| 9 | Tua Tagovailoa | 67.7% | 384 |
| 10 | Sam Darnold | 67.7% | 477 |
Why it matters. Completion rate at volume is one of the cleanest signals that a QB has learned to work through progressions under pressure. Rattler cracking top-10 league-wide in 2025 — with 257 attempts, not a sample blip — reframes him from 'late-round filler' to 'legitimate starter candidate.'
Back-to-back years, 5th-round pick #144-150 became the Saints' most-used QB. In 2024: Spencer Rattler. In 2025: Shedeur Sanders. The Saints are running an experiment.
TrendNO 5th-round QB starters: 2024 and 2025
| QB | Draft | Pick | NO Games | Comp% | YDs | TDs/INTs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer Rattler | 2024 R5 | #150 | 7 | 57.0% | 1,317 | 4/5 |
| Shedeur Sanders | 2025 R5 | #144 | 8 | 56.6% | 1,400 | 7/10 |
Why it matters. The Saints consciously counting on mid-round QB value in back-to-back drafts is either organizational savvy or institutional chaos — but either way it's a defined pattern, not a one-off. Rattler's ability to survive as a starter in 2024 was the proof of concept.
His 2025 NO season (1,586 yds, 8 TDs, 5 INTs in 9 games) was a clear leap from his 2024 rookie line.
SplitRattler year-over-year
| Year | G | Yds | TDs | INTs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 7 | 1,317 | 4 | 5 |
| 2025 | 9 | 1,586 | 8 | 5 |
Why it matters. Year-2 development is the make-or-break signal for late-round QBs — most plateau or regress. Rattler's TD rate doubling while his INT rate held flat is the development curve you'd draw on a whiteboard, not the erratic line most backup-to-starter QBs produce.
Caleb Williams (1st overall, 2024) vs Spencer Rattler (5th, 2024) — same 2021 OU room, same 2024 draft class.
ComparisonOU 2021 QB room — eventual NFL outcomes
| QB | NFL pick | Path |
|---|---|---|
| Caleb Williams | 1st overall (2024) | USC transfer, Heisman |
| Spencer Rattler | 150 (2024) | SC transfer, late-round |
Why it matters. The Rattler-Williams bifurcation is the starkest illustration in recent draft history of how quickly elite college QB hierarchies invert: 149 picks and three NFL seasons later, Williams has a franchise contract and Rattler is fighting for starts, yet both earned starting roles as rookies from the same position room.
Among 5th-round QBs, only Shedeur Sanders (8 starts, 2025) had more rookie starts than Rattler (7, 2024) — and both were Saints QBs in back-to-back years.
Rare5th-round QBs: most starts in rookie season (since 2000)
| QB | Draft Year | Pick # | Rookie Starts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shedeur Sanders | 2025 | #144 | 8 |
| Spencer Rattler | 2024 | #150 | 7 |
| Craig Krenzel | 2004 | #148 | 6 |
| T.J. Yates | 2011 | #152 | 5 |
| Mike McMahon | 2001 | #149 | 4 |
| John Skelton | 2010 | #155 | 4 |
Why it matters. 5th-round QBs typically enter as developmental backups — earning 7+ starts as a rookie means the injury door opened AND you held up well enough not to be benched. That combination is historically rare; only six 5th-round QBs in 25 years managed it, and the top two are both Saints picks.
He completed 67.7% of passes in 2025 — a higher rate than first-round rookie peers Bo Nix and Drake Maye in their 2024 seasons.
AnomalyRattler completion % by season
| Season | Comp % |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 57 |
| 2025 | 67.7 |
Why it matters. Completion rate measures decision-making precision more than arm talent — it captures whether a QB is putting the ball where receivers can catch it in rhythm. A 10-point jump in one year, at increasing volume, signals real mechanical and mental improvement rather than scheme exploitation.
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