Browns Eyeing Tulane QB Michael Pratt Ahead of Draft

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Kevin Stefanski and the Browns may be eyeing a new addition at quarterback in the draft.

The Cleveland Browns are doing their homework on the quarterbacks available in the draft, recently hosting Tulane passer Michael Pratt.

Pratt is the second draft prospect the Browns have hosted in recent weeks. Cleveland also wanted a closer look at former Tennessee QB Joe Milton.

Pratt is not a household name and is expected to be a mid- to late-round pick. Much like Dorian Thompson-Robinson — whom the Browns drafted in the fifth round last year — Pratt has lots of experience. He started 46 games at Tulane, amassing 9,611 yards and 90 touchdowns. Pratt tossed 26 interceptions and added 1,147 yards and 26 more touchdowns on the ground.

In his draft analysis, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had to say about Pratt.

“Highly experienced and a respected team leader, Pratt has shown consistent improvement from season to season. Pratt has done a nice job of making safe decisions instead of reckless ones and throws with touch over all three levelsHe struggles to throw with consistent accuracy and placement on intermediate throws. Also, he appears to lack the anticipation and field awareness to beat NFL coverage across the field. Pratt has Day 3 potential but will be in a battle to win a future backup role.

Browns Also Interested in Joe Milton

The Browns also hosted Milton for a visit in March. Much like Pratt, Milton isn’t one of the more highly-touted quarterback prospects. However, the former Tennessee and Michigan quarterback boasts some impressive athletic talent.

Milton had his pro day on Wednesday, March 27, and showed off his elite arm strength and physical skills. He ran a 4.55 40-yard dash at 245 pounds.

Milton passed for 2,831 yards, 20 touchdowns, and five interceptions last season at Tennessee, completing 64.7 percent of his passes. He also added 299 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground. Milton has the physical tools but needs to refine his game for the NFL level.

“Rare physical specimen with the proverbial ‘arm talent to make all the NFL throws,’ but he’s prevented from doing so by a lack of timing, accuracy and touch,” Zierlein wrote on NFL.com. “Milton is gifted with a cannon for a right arm and can throw the ball as hard or as far as you want. His fastballs are often inaccurate and difficult to catch for moving targets, and he was wildly inconsistent locating his deep throws.”

Browns Have Crowded QB Room Behind Deshaun Watson

Both Milton and Pratt would be developmental prospects for the Browns, who already have a stacked quarterback room. Deshaun Watson is atop the depth chart, followed by veterans Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley. Thompson-Robinson will also be in the mix.

The Browns learned last season that there’s no such thing as too much depth at the quarterback position. With Watson sidelined, Cleveland started five different quarterbacks.

The Browns are hoping the backup quarterback storyline won’t be as prominent this season. Watson is expected to be ready for the start of the season following shoulder surgery in November. The key for Cleveland will be having their $230 million quarterback available for a full season. He’s played in just 12 games with the Browns since being traded to the team in 2022. Watson has not played more than six games in a season since 2020.

J.R. DeGroote covers the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com. He covered local and statewide sports as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and has decades of experience in digital media with previous stops at SB Nation and Bleacher Report. He has won multiple state, regional and national honors for sports reporting and photography. More about J.R. DeGroote